Kannazuki no Miko: Priestesses Unchained
by Cravitz33919
Summary: Testing Please Ignore
1. Reunion

**_CHAPTER ONE: REUNION._**

* * *

Himemiya Chikane was born into a family where love and wealth existed in great abundance. She was gifted with good looks that not many young women her age possessed. She was fortunate in that her well-nurtured talent had filled her rather inexperienced life with fame and world-wide appreciation. She had spent the first nineteen years of her youth believing that there was nothing she could not have. Her world was turned upside down and her naïve assumption violently rebuked, however, when a wingless angel wreathed in the blinding light of the sun shot an arrow wrought purely from alien emotions into her once inert heart. For the first time since gaining recognition of the world at large, she felt the tendrils of fear writhing in her mind, telling her it was possible that this very stranger, who had come into her life the way a bolt of lightning streaked across the rainy heavens, was beyond her reach.

Rising from her comfortable armchair, the high back of which faced a massive thick glass pane allowing her to enjoy the view of Downtown Mahoroba from a height of a thousand feet, she quietly crossed the room. Earlier in the morning, she had checked in at the registration counter of Grand Central Hotel, the luxurious presidential suite of which was afforded to her by her celebrity status in certain circles. She had been rather impressed in the beginning by its spaciousness, its ridiculously expensive furniture as well as state-of-the-art entertainment facilities, and the impeccable aesthetic sense with which it was designed and decorated. The suite did not seem all too extraordinary now in her eyes, not when she was standing by the immense bed and beholding in great amazement the same wingless angel who had graced Chikane's life more than half an hour gone with a radiance noonday could barely top.

Lying on her back upon the soft mattress that would conform to every inch of a human body was a girl no older than her whose consciousness was immersed in a deep slumber. Many boys and quite a few girls had bared their hearts at Chikane's feet and asked for her love in return. None of them had managed to stir _her_ heart the way this stranger girl did.

 _"Yes, Father," Himemiya Chikane spoke quietly into the Motorola Shinken-6 cell phone she was holding against her right cheek. "I have arrived safely." The people around her were either engrossed in their own wireless conversations, making vexed sounds at their wristwatches, or staring impatiently at the red traffic light barring them from crossing the junction just so they could get on with their business. To their dismay, cars remained cruising past them from either direction, showing no immediate sign of slowing down and letting them pass. "No, Father, I have little need of bodyguards," she repeated for the thousandth time. Much as Himemiya Aoki would like to think, she was not an insanely popular idol who was stalked left and right by her rabid fan base. "It will only draw attention to me," she reminded him. "That is not what I want."_

 _"Well, if you say so," Aoki muttered in a resigned manner on the other side of the phone. "Keep yourself out of trouble, then." She still did not understand why her parents were ever so fond of giving such advice even though it was pointless. She had not gotten herself into trouble once. If she had, perhaps her life would have been a little more interesting. Maybe she should. "And I am sure you will have lunch with us tomorrow, as_ scheduled _and_ promised _?"_

 _Chikane sighed. "Yes, Father." She had been doing her best to get away from it. She had tried to convince her parents that whatever deal they were bringing to the table would not sit too well with her, if at all. They always refused to listen. Now, they even decided to fly to Mahoroba from London, where they were taking a vacation, just to corner her in a "lunch with the family." She hated it when Himemiya Aoki and Himemiya Sanae were this insistent on deciding the course of_ her _life._

 _"At least try to sound a little more cheerful, Chikane," said the man soothingly as though able to sense her apprehension. "You will not regret it."_

 _"Perhaps," she murmured noncommittally._

 _"And I am sorry your mother and I cannot celebrate your birthday with you today," apologized the second-most powerful member of the Himemiya, his voice full of genuine regret. "I truly am."_

 _"You should not be," she said in her unchanging tone. "I am used to it." It was not sarcasm. It was a statement of fact. Aoki and Sanae had ever been occupied with their own business as well as the affairs of the Clan. They truly did not have much time to spend with their daughter, and she understood that. Understandably enough, she never resented their usual absence in their life, but guilt was always in their voices whenever they mentioned the fact. Perhaps that was why they insisted on doing what they would be tomorrow afternoon. "In any case, I will be waiting for your call tonight." The light had just turned green, and the people around her had started milling forward. "Yes, you take care too, Father."_

 _She hung up and strode forward. All thoughts took wing and left her mind blank the moment her eyes dawned on a mysteriously endearing figure approaching from the other side of the street. Her feet planted her immovably at the heart of the junction like a tree deep-rooted into the soils. Her breath caught and her pulse picked up its pace. Time froze, the earth stopped turning, and the people around her became as solid as a mirage conjured by the desert's heat._

 _The little angel, who had come to an abrupt halt an arm's length in front of Chikane, was beautiful yet not in the way that dried men's throats and filled their hearts with darkest desires. What Chikane saw on the other girl's face were delicate features that suggested untainted innocence and invoked thoughts of adoration from members of either sex. Her shoulder-length golden hair possessed the luster of the precious metal and was adorned with a snowy bow tie at the back of her head. Her slim and petite body was graced by a shamrock-green sleeveless jacket that bared her slender arms, the skin on which was smooth as the surface of a pearl, an inner shirt atop which hung a pink seashell that looked surprisingly similar to the pendant attached to her metal necklace, and a white pleated skirt not long enough to hide the lithesome shape of her lower thighs._

 _A slight movement from the little angel – Chikane had not met a single person that deserved the title more – had her snap back to reality in a flash. The golden-haired girl, amazingly enough, was crying in silence, her round and shiny tears rolling incessantly down her gorgeous face. Then all of a sudden, she hurried forward, spread her arms, and closed them around Chikane's neck the next instant. There, she wept and wept and wept._

 _Fire roared from the pit of Chikane's stomach and threatened to incinerate her. As if they had gained a will of their own, her arms had risen without her command and slipped around the other girl's waist with the same tightness and intimacy. Feelings she did not know she harbored exploded in her heart. Tears she had held back during the last nineteen years roared past her shattered restraints and streamed freely down her face._

 _Her Kyou Oji-sama often joked that there was one kind of disease that even mankind at the height of its civilization would never be able to cure. That disease's name was love. During the first nineteen years of her life, she had never been acquainted with its universally known symptoms._

 _Now, she was._

A soft beep interrupted her recollection. The sound came from the intercommunication device placed on the wall to the right-hand-side of the door, signifying that someone was standing outside and waiting for her to answer. She sighed and walked to the door, where a look at the LCD screen revealed that the person who just decided to disturb her blissful reverie was the concierge she had met down at the lobby a few moments ago. She believed he had introduced himself to her once, when she first checked in earlier in the morning, but his name escaped her now. Not that she cared. There was only one name she wished to learn at the moment, and it was not his.

"How may I help you, sir?" she asked. The device only allowed one-way image transmission, so he would not be able to see her or learn anything that was happening in the suite.

"Himemiya-sama," he greeted respectfully and bowed where he stood even though a door stood between them. "Forgive me, but I am worried for your... companion." The quick pause was noticeable. He sounded as though he had intended to use a different word. "I would like to inform you that Grand Central offers a wide range of medical services to the guests residing in our presidential suites. A most competent medical team can be here any moment should you require their aid."

The meeting on the street between Himemiya Chikane and the little angel had apparently put too much strain on the latter's fragile body, for she passed out shortly after putting herself within Chikane's embrace and crying her eyes out atop Chikane's shoulder. Shocked, worried and afraid at the same time, Chikane had taken the golden-haired girl into her arms and brought her directly to Grand Central. This very same concierge, who had been among those serving at the registration counter, was the person who came to ask her whether something was wrong. He had nodded along as though convinced when explained that the unconscious beauty was a friend who fell victim to the afternoon's heat. He had asked politely if he could help carry the girl to the hundredth floor and acted as though he had not the moment he met Chikane's sapphire eyes. The man was very smooth and quick-witted, though, as he immediately offered to get the elevator for her and open the door to her presidential suite. His assistance had been much appreciated.

"I do not think there my friend is in any immediate danger," she replied. The coma had already departed, leaving in its place a deep sleep that had the little angel's chest rise and fall in an even and quiet rhythm. She did stir a few times, though, and made some impossibly cute sounds in her throat. Whenever she did, Chikane sensed her breathing slow down and her heart pulse speed up while eagerly waiting for this dazzling being to open her eyes and talk. She had been disappointed again and again, for the other girl always mumbled some incoherent phrases and drifted back into the land of the dark. Chikane had never thought watching someone sleep could be this nerve-racking. Despite the fact that she currently wished for nothing more than to rouse the little angel and ask the thousand questions she had, she was going to let the girl wake on her own. It seemed a crime... No, it _was_ a crime to disturb her when she was so soundly asleep. "Should I need help," Heaven forbid if Chikane would, "I will give the help desk a call."

"It shall be as you wish." The concierge bowed his head in acquiescence and left.

Heaving another sigh, she went back to the bed. Deciding that sitting down would be a better idea than standing up for only heavens knew how long, she settled down on the edge of a mattress at least three arms in width and twice as many in length. Very gently, she brought to her nose a handful of the unconscious angel's fine golden hair, which possessed the luster of the precious metal. She recognized the lingering pleasant smell of shampoo as well as what she was sure the natural fragrance scent of the sleeping beauty.

Still slightly dazed, Chikane laid her hand upon the sleeping stranger's warm forehead. From there, it glided softly down her silken-smooth cheek, traced her jaw line, trailed down the crook of her neck, and arrived at the pendant that lay atop her modest bosom. Her mind spun at the contact with the little pink seashell. It seemed to have come from the same clam as the one hanging on her neck. It gave her the same sense of familiarity that hers did the first time she touched it one late night on the island of Oahu of Hawaii ten years in the shadows of the past. She was only nine then, yet the unusual encounter had been forever etched into her memories in a most mysterious fashion.

 _"What did you think of the food, Chikane?" Himemiya Aoki, a tall man in his thirties with a mustache that did not do much to make his baby face more mature and a pair of eyes with irises that could have been carved from obsidian, asked not too long after they had walked out of a Hawaiian restaurant near the Waikiki Beach. His right hand was holding her left, and her Mother's left was engulfing her right as they treaded leisurely on the moonlit sidewalk toward their hotel, which was but a few minutes of walking away. "Good, no?" he said and answered his own question._

 _She happily nodded her agreement. The food_ was _good. While simple, the dishes served to her and her parents at their table offered exotic flavors that silenced all conversations they liked to have during meals and forced them to focus on indulging their taste buds._

 _"What do you say we come here again tomorrow, dear?" suggested Himemiya Sanae. She was quite few years younger than her husband – he swept her off her feet when she was in her first year in college and he already in his late twenties – but appeared a little older thanks to his baby face and in defiance of the money she had spent on cosmetics. Still, she was so beautiful with her straight short hair and elegantly applied makeup that every man walking in the opposite direction shot her husband envious looks. He pretended he did not see, but Chikane would have to be blind to not see the twitching at the corners of his lips._

 _"That sounds great," said Aoki. "Their menu has so many interesting dishes, and we have tasted so few." He sounded ready to go back for a second helping of the delicious food. "What do you think we should try tomorrow, Chikane?" he prompted._

 _She kept quiet and pondered carefully while continued walking beneath the gentle luminescence of the full moon and the twinkling phosphorescence of the ocean of stars surrounding it. Although deep in thought, she was still aware of the sounds of vehicles running in both directions to her left, the merry but indistinct chattering of the natives around her, and the sight of an old woman sitting a few yards ahead. Her long hair was white as snow, her cloak sewn together from a thousand colorful patches. In front of her a large cloth was laid, atop which stood many hand-made accessories and cheap souvenirs she probably counted on to buy food._

 _The very moment Chikane and her parents arrived at where the old woman was sitting and surveying the surrounding for potential customers, who seemed determined to ignore her wordless pleas, Chikane's sapphire eyes caught sight of something placed at the very center of the cloth. She stopped walking, consequently forcing Aoki and Sanae to pull to a halt. Her attention, she found, was being drawn helplessly to a pink seashell attached to a metal necklace like a moth to a light bulb. She did not know why, but the far from valuable or even eye-catching accessory had stolen her gaze and refused to give it back._

 _For the first time in her childhood, she_ desired _something. Not pretty dresses, not useless dolls that other girls were ever so fanatically fond of, but a little seashell she could have found anywhere on the beach._

 _Silently, she bent down and laid her hand upon the object currently keeping her spellbound. The first touch surprised her with a mild electric jolt that had her shy back slightly. A second touch brought her a powerfully endearing and inexplicably familiar sensation that compelled her to pick up the pendant and held it tightly in her tiny hands. The old woman made no move to stop her. She gazed at Chikane expectantly with a pair of lightless gray eyes and tremblingly brought up a wrinkled hand as though demanding a payment. Chikane lifted her head to look up at her Father, who scratched his head in evident surprise._

 _"Do you_ truly _want this?" he asked, confused._

 _She nodded and tugged beseechingly at her Father's vacant hand, deathly afraid that he might not grant her sincere request. He loudly cleared his throat in response, looking like he was going to squeal. Adults were so strange, she thought._

 _"But why?" Himemiya Aoki said and glanced at his wife, who appeared at a loss for words. "Your generous Kyou Oji-sama and Kimika Oba-sama got you a crystal necklace a hundred times prettier last year and you never touched it." It was probably lying in some corner of her room back home, along with the presents her relatives heaped on her every birthday and Christmas. They never appealed to her despite the fact another child could only possess them in his fondest dreams._

 _She tugged harder and looked pleadingly at her Mother, who immediately caved in. "I will buy it for you, Chikane," she said indulgently and reached into her purse. Aoki gave her a look but he, too, melted at Chikane's unblinking sapphire gaze. Neither of her parents had any experience in dealing with her when she wanted something this desperately. The reason was simple – she never did. In fact, she could not recall ever asking them for anything her entire life._

 _"Here you go," said Sanae, who slipped a twenty dollar bill into the bony hand of the quiet vendor. The much older woman scrutinized the green slip of currency for a few seconds, flashed a toothless grin that spoke volumes of disbelief, and finally shoved it into her pocket as though she was afraid Sanae would change her mind. Chikane guessed that meant the payment was more than sufficient._

 _"Thank you, Mother," she said belatedly and beamed at Sanae. Her Mother smiled broadly and ruffled her blue hair in return._

 _"Put it on," Himemiya Sanae urged her daughter._

Chikane did. During the last ten years, she never once took it off.

"Did you get it from that old woman too, little angel?" she murmured in a voice so soft and affectionate it nearly startled her. Her hand moved back up and arrived at the sleeping beauty's lips, which she caressed lovingly with the tip of her forefinger. They were small, they were soft, they were delicate, and they were just like a pair of sakura petals. Afraid of what was going to happen should she continue to touch a pair of lips even another girl would have a hard time refraining from kissing – _or maybe it is just me,_ she thought ruefully – Chikane pulled her hand upward and brushed a few strands of stray golden hair off of the other girl's forehead.

Images flashed violently in her mind.

 _Under the ominous light of the violet orb high in the clouded heavens, Himemiya Chikane held the girl currently nestled in her loving arms a little bit closer to offer protection and comfort. The little angel's name was Kurusugawa Himeko, she was someone Chikane had only met a few months ago but felt like they had been friends since birth, and she was the person who had taken Chikane's heart captive the moment the she discovered the secret Garden of the Roses in the back of Ototachibana Academy. Her clothes were all torn thanks to the violent God Machine Take no Yamikazuchi – she knew not how she learned the name of the demonic titan, but she did – and his assault on Himeko's dorm room. Her gorgeous face was slightly bruised, her dry lips opened, her left hand engulfed in Chikane's right, her consciousness completely drowned in the ocean of the dark. "Please wake up, Himeko," Chikane whispered to the girl she loved. "Please... If you don't... I..." She squeezed her sweetheart's hand more tightly in fear. She would never be able to survive Himeko an hour, if not a minute. The little angel was ever her whole world._

 _Himeko stirred. "Chikane-chan..." she mumbled. Her voice was soft and low, yet to Chikane, it was a gunshot. Relief poured out of her pores like a river in a flood, love roaring from her heart and racing to the furthest corners of her existence. The thunderous clashing of the colossal Take no Yamikazuchi and Yatsunou no Koshizuchi, another giant with lightning-spewing metal tentacles whose name she had no idea how entered her ignorant mind, in their deathmatch suddenly dimmed to the buzzing of a bee. All she heard at the moment was the ragged breathing of her first love. All she saw was the fragile figure of a girl who had uttered her name even when unconscious._

 _Quietly, she brushed a few strands of stray hair off of Himeko's forehead, feeling her own cheeks coloring at the thought of what she was going to do. The urge was too strong, its voice too persuasive to resist._

 _She lowered her face to that of the girl she loved._

 _"Happy Birthday, Himeko," she whispered. Her trembling mouth found that of her sweetheart in a deep kiss she had dreamt of receiving for far too long and far too often. Heat rushed to her brain, sweetness invaded her sense of taste, unshed tears welled in her eyes, and moisture struck her nostrils in what undoubtedly the most blissful moment of her youth. Blinding light blazed and Take no Yamikazuchi's voice resounded deafeningly in the cold air in what resembled a triumphant roar, yet their presences quickly slipped off her mind as her eyes drew shut, her arms fastened around the angel's fragile frame, and her own body melted into the meeting of their lips._ I love you, Himeko, _the words rang melodiously across her mind._

 _She barely registered that the other girl's arms were very tight around her own waist._

* * *

Kurusugawa Himeko's eyes fluttered open. In a heartbeat, she realized that she had woken up in a place she didn't recognize. The ceiling of this huge chamber was decorated with a crystal chandelier compared to the cheap fluorescent tubes she had on hers, the bed she was resting on so soft it would have made the thin mattress she had back home seem a slab of concrete, and the scenery beyond the huge glass pane at the far end of this immense rectangular space suggested a dizzying height that the second-floor apartment she was renting did not possess. She did not have time to panic, which she invariably did anytime she found herself in a strange place, for her amethyst gaze had dawned on a slender figure of a girl who had just walked out of the bathroom.

She was the same girl Himeko had met at the heart of that crowded junction only Heaven knew how long ago. She was easily the most beautiful creature ever engineered by the Gods. She took Himeko's breath away with but a look.

Her knee-length hair possessed the color of a cloudless azure sky, her large eyes were sapphires polished by the best jewelers, and her face was so gorgeous a photographer would pay any possible price to have it captured by his camera's lenses. Her frame was graced by a snowy one-piece dress that was fastened at her slim waist by an elegant belt, her neck adorned by a seashell pendant attached to a metal necklace that would have seemed too... ordinary to belong on a person who undoubtedly had been brought up in a wealthy family. Yet... a more careful inspection would convince any pair of eyes that it belonged on her the way her elegant limbs did her well-proportioned and breathtakingly curvaceous body.

It suddenly struck Kurusugawa Himeko that the seashell was the trigger to her odd behaviors on the street. She blushed hotly. She could remember very clearly that it was she who had literally jumped into the other girl's arms and cried her heart out atop her shoulder right after she gained a glimpse of what was hanging beneath the other girl's slender neck. She couldn't give any other explanation except the fact that a powerful impulse had seized her and made her do what she did.

It was certainly not an excuse she wanted to say to this beautiful princess – had she been a few years older, Himeko would have called her a queen – who had graced her life in such a way that she found herself offering her gratitude to the Gods. Since her first year in Ototachibana Academy, she had prayed that they would let her meet the one person whose face she could not imagine and whose name she never knew but whose presence always occupied her heart. Finally, her prayers had been answered. Now, Kurusugawa Himeko had found the other half of her existence. Now, she had learned how helpless a girl would feel when caught in the throes of love.

Dazed, she sat up straight on the bed, her eyes still glued on her first love, whose face turned in her direction and her eyes widened slightly upon seeing that Himeko was awake. Her heart gave a powerful clench at the sight and threatened to squeeze tears out of her eyes like it had on the street. Hastily drawing a deep breath, she tried to calm herself. It would not do to burst into tears in front of this blue-haired princess again, for she might just think that Himeko was crazy. Hardly a good first impression, of course.

"Are you feeling well?" the beautiful girl inquired. Her crystal-clear nightingale voice was a little uneven, Himeko noticed.

"Um... I'm okay... I think..." she stuttered and swallowed audibly in nervousness as the other girl settled down on the edge of the immense mattress. The elegance with which she carried herself revealed a careful upbringing in a wealthy family. The light perfume she wore reminded Himeko of a garden full of flowers. The beauty she possessed, which was augmented by the close proximity, dried Himeko's throat with heartfelt admiration. "Um... if I may ask... where am I?" She gave the chamber a surveying look.

"This is my room in Grand Central Hotel," the princess replied. "I do not know if you remember, but you passed out on the street."

"I do," Himeko said gratefully. "Thank you, and I'm sorry for the trouble."

"It is what anyone would do in such a situation," replied the princess. "My name is Himemiya Chikane." She extended her right hand, the lack of a ring on which was most noticeable. Although it only meant that she had yet to be engaged or married, Himeko hoped it, too, suggested that she was not currently involved romantically with anyone else. Otherwise, her own heart was going to break. "Would you mind telling me yours?"

"Himeko," she offered happily, mentally marveling at the perfection with which the syllables of the other girl's name string together. "Kurusugawa Himeko." She took the princess's hand and shook it lightly. She had to exert a considerable amount of willpower to let it go in the end. What would she not pay to be able to hold it a little longer? What would she not give to have this soft and warm hand against her cheek for while?

Nothing, she decided.

"Such a cute name," the princess mused. "I like it very much." Himeko blushed, having overheard the undisguised fondness in this familiar stranger's dulcet voice.

"Um... thank you..." she began fiddling with her fingers, declaring to anybody who had been observing her behaviors that she was very nervous. No one had paid her such a compliment and managed to sound so sincere about it. She did not doubt for one second that the other girl meant what she said.

"Is it okay for me to call you by your given name?" the princess inquired.

Himeko was surprised. Even her best friend Saotome Makoto had addressed her by her family name for the first few months they were roomed together in the Ototachibana Dorm. The auburn-haired athlete had refused to call her otherwise until they finally brought down the invisible wall separating them, a wall built from her innate shyness that was still stood between her from the rest of the world, and a wall that never existed in the first place between her and the inhabitant of this luxurious hotel room. Still, Himeko's surprise did not last too long and was swiftly replaced by an eagerness to grant permission. To her, it was a first.

"Please do," she invited.

"Thank you, Himeko," whispered the princess, who uttered the last word as though she was savoring its syllables with her lips and tongue. Himeko had always thought that there was nothing special about her name. Her first crush had just proved to her how wrong that was by saying it in a manner fit for lovers whispering words of honey into each other's ear while enjoying their precious intimacy in bed. Her cheeks burned. They _were_ in bed... and alone in a chamber where anything could have happened without the knowledge of the outside world. "Of course," the other girl added, "I would be very happy if you would address me in the same way." She sounded almost afraid that Himeko was going to refuse her heartfelt request.

"Chi... Chikane-chan?"

"Yes?" she answered with a smile that would have pulled any man or woman to their knees in adoration and worship.

"Um..." She racked her brain for a decent response. She definitely wasn't going to tell Chikane-chan – the name tasted so... natural on her tongue it was as if she had been saying it numerous times prior to this fateful meeting – that she called the latter's name just because she wanted to. She found it. "How long have I been unconscious?"

"A little more than half an hour," her first love answered.

She glanced at the wristwatch on her left hand. It read one thirty in the afternoon. She panicked.

"Oh no!" she exclaimed. "I'm supposed to be home by now!"

"Someone expecting you?" the princess asked quietly. "Your romantic interest, perhaps?" The casualness of her tone hurt.

"No, no!" Himeko waved a hand frantically. "I don't have one! Please believe me!" She clamped her mouth shut at the amused smile that crossed the blue-haired beauty's lips, realizing finally that she had answered the question with much more intensity that she had intended. She wanted to pinch her own cheeks to remind herself to think before she let her tongue flap. If she went on like this, she might just destroy a budding friendship she was hoping would turn into mutual love. She cleared her throat loudly at the thought. "Um... a few friends are coming over for a visit... That's all."

Worries clawed at her stomach. Two of these friends happened to be her former roommate Saotome Makoto and her childhood friend Oogami Souma, both of whom harbored an over-the-top protectiveness toward her. Unless she got home soon, they were going to make a fuss and start calling the police to look for her. They always seemed to believe that Himeko was a child who needed to be looked after every step she took regardless of how hard she tried to convince them otherwise. It was just that she couldn't talk back when they mentioned the fact that she was at the height of clumsiness and prone to the most silly accidents. Sometimes she wished she weren't such a hopeless klutz.

"Where do you live?" Chikane-chan asked.

"Shoubara City," she answered. It was a forty-five minutes of bus ride away. "I... I should go." Despair and sadness filled her to the brim. She had no wish to leave the company of the blue-haired princess now, if ever, but unless she came home soon, she might find police at her door when she did. Calling her apartment was out of the question, for the phone lines had been damaged by the storm that ravaged Mahoroba two nights ago. The owner of the complex had yet to repair them despite the complaints that he received every single day from his other tenants.

"I will give you a ride," offered the moonlight of her heart as she gracefully rose from the mattress. Somehow, she reminded Himeko of a full moon with its majestic and gentle luminescence, only that this particular moon, in her eyes at least, was much more brilliant than the noon sun beyond the thick glass pane. "Will you come with me? My car is in the parking lot."

Kurusugawa Himeko did not bother to hide the broad smile that split her face into two. It appeared that they didn't have to part after all.

* * *

"I was born in Tokyo," said Himemiya Chikane in response to a question from her precious angel as the silver Mercedes MNK 1010, a sleek Convertible that her father had rented and made available to her the moment she stepped down from the family's private jet in Mahoroba International Airport, rolled out from the basement parking lot of Grand Central. The roof as well as the wind shield and the windows were up and the air conditioner turned on to prevent the heat of day and the noise of the outside world from invading the comfortable space within the luxurious vehicle. Chikane was good driver by normal standards, but today she handled the MNK 1010 with much more care and surveyed the roads far more often. The last thing she wanted was an accident that might harm the fragile life of the girl she loved. She would die before she let that occur.

"This is the first time I am here," she confided. Despite not knowing where was where in the modest metropolis, she did not have much difficulty navigating through its maze-like streets. The GPS of the Mercedes told her everything she needed to know to take the golden-haired girl home.

"Are you on vacation?" the little angel inquired.

"More like a business trip," Chikane clarified.

"Are you..." Himeko hesitated, "on this trip all by yourself?"

Chikane concentrated on safely merging into the fast lane of a Mahoroba highway before answering the sunlight of her world. "Only for today," she disclosed. "My parents are coming here straight from England tomorrow. They are taking the earliest flight back to London the next morning, though."

"Why?" The other girl sounded baffled by the very idea.

Chikane sighed. "I am supposed to attend an omiai with them tomorrow. I think they are setting me up with some wealthy person from this city." She was only nineteen, yet her Father and Mother were quite worried about the fact that she was absolutely uninterested in being romantically involved with anyone else. That was why they had been doing their best to introduce to her boys of prominent families whom they thought to be a good match. Unfortunately for her, her insistence in turning every single one of them down did not manage to douse her parents' ardor one bit. They only tried harder, to her dismay. She had even lost counts on how many omiai sessions she had been _"persuaded"_ to attend despite her tight schedule. She constantly found herself wishing they would just stop.

"You don't want to, right?" the golden-haired girl observed.

"Of course not," Chikane confessed. "If I want a romantic interest, I will find one myself."

"Then that means you... haven't yet?" her passenger ventured. _"Overjoyed"_ hardly described the emotion overflowing in her words.

"Not yet," she confirmed, sensing her heart picking up its pace. A quick sidelong glance revealed that her response had brought a smile to Himeko's delicate lips. Chikane did not think that it registered to the golden-haired beauty that this was not a conversation she should not be having with someone she met less than an hour ago. Not that she had any objection, of course.

"That's strange," the other girl murmured.

"What is?" Chikane asked, slightly amused.

"You still being single. I mean... you're so beautiful and kind..." Honesty rang true and clear in her voice. Chikane found her cheeks being warmed up by the hesitant praise.

"I am not sure about the beautiful part, and I do not think _'kind'_ describes me very well." She could not speak for others and it might have been the bias one had when one was in love, but she believed Himeko was the prettier between them. As for the _"kind"_ part, it was far from accurate. She knew better than anyone that she would have behaved in a far less caring manner had it been another person who collapsed on the street.

"You're too modest." Himeko chuckled softly. "I'm sure the boys didn't leave you alone while you were in school."

"No," Chikane admitted. They, all of whom were from prestigious families, sent her a mountain of love letters a month during her years in a high-class private high school in Tokyo. They pestered her with surreptitious stares they thought she would not notice. Still, irritating as those boys were, most of them paled beside some of the girls in terms of obnoxiousness. They had been the type who would incessantly declare their eternal devotion to Chikane, vow to obey her absolutely, and then forget all they had heard. More than a few students had fallen prey to injuries as a result of the fanatics' insistence on preventing anyone from getting too close to the one they idolized. Her eyes glanced sideways to Himeko. None of them could compare to this sweet little angel who sat next to her now, attentively listening to her every words and with her amethyst gems – _so shiny, so rare!_ – locked on every movement of her lips.

"And none captured your eyes?"

She shook her head.

"Then I'm glad..." the golden-haired girl said, her voice a breathless whisper that would not have been audible to Chikane had she sat another inch away. Her slender, ringless fingers brushed upon the seashell pendant on her puffing chest. "I guess I still have a chance..."

"A chance?" Chikane repeated, feeling a little dazed by the suggestive words and thinking that perhaps the sunlight of her world had not meant to be heard. A light start that the latter gave immediately confirmed her suspicion. Himeko's cheeks turned a scarlet shade.

"I... I mean..." she stuttered, then took a long pause as though pondering what she should say while her forefingers drew circles around each other's tip and her complexion continued to darken in deathly embarrassment. "I mean," she spoke up finally, "I still have a chance to... introduce you to someone you... may be interested in, Chikane-chan."

The other girl made a terrible liar.

"And you think that someone would meet my standards?" she asked in amusement. Expertly she parked her silver Mercedes in front of a tall building labeled with the phrase _"Kanagawa Apartments"_ in unlit neon signs. They had arrived at their destination. She switched the MNK 1010 into parking gear and turned off its computerized system. The elegant driving machine fell silent in a heartbeat.

"I... don't know your standards," Himeko professed timidly. "What kind of person do you like?"

"Someone like you." Chikane turned to her first love and smiled meaningfully at the latter.

"There's nothing good about me," the sunlit angel said in a diffident voice touched with happiness. She did not sound averse to the idea at all despite what she said. "I'm too plain for you. We don't really match." Amethyst eyes regarded Chikane with adoration.

"I do not think so," she disagreed, smiling inwardly at how the girl she loved had translated the phrase _"Someone like you"_ into just _"You"_ in her magnificent head. People always heard what they wanted to hear, of course. In this case, however, it was exactly what Chikane desired. "None I have met was as cute as you. I am honest." The truthful compliment brought a wonderful glow of delight and embarrassment to Himeko's face. She lowered her amethyst eyes to her feet and kept it there while a happy smile blossomed on her lips.

"But I'm a girl," Himeko said after a moment of silence.

"Makes little difference to me," Chikane announced softly. To demonstrate, she leaned over and placed a quick peck on the other girl's burning cheek. She gave a small start and blushed a sunset atop the leather seat. Not a sign of rejection was on her gorgeous face. The joyous gleam in her eyes suggested that she liked it.

Chikane chuckled softly to herself and climbed out of the vehicle. Quickly she circled the sleek Mercedes and held the passenger door open for the girl she loved.

"Thank you," the golden-haired girl offered and awkwardly got out. "Um... would you like to come up for a while?" She peered up at Chikane – she was shorter by half a head – with a pair of puppy eyes. She knew that a _"No"_ would definitely pool tears in that beautiful pair of amethyst gems and a _"Yes"_ would have a smile blossom on these beautiful lips. Even if she did not have any intention of visiting the other girl's apartment, she would never do anything to make Himeko sad.

"I would love to," she assented, her hand giving the passenger door a push. The thing locked into place. A press on a button on the car key turned on the alarm system.

The smile she had been expecting was brighter than the noon sun.

"My friends would love to get acquainted with you, I'm sure," her sweetheart said in the tiny and nearly obsolete elevator, which was empty save for the two of them. At least it was clean, Chikane noted, albeit rising toward the second floor with the speed of a snail. On second though, she decided that she preferred it this way. She certainly welcomed a chance to spend more time alone with the sunlit angel. In fact, she would not mind at all should some electrical abnormalities occur and...

Her train of thoughts cut off abruptly at a powerful tremor that rocked the slowly climbing car and grounded it to an abrupt halt. The light went out. Darkness blanketed her vision and robbed her of the sight of the girl she loved. _Now this is freaky,_ she thought. She had not expected that her whimsical wish would actually come true.

"Chikane-chan?" called the little angel, sounding at the verge of panic. "Chikane-chan? Where are you?" A note of fear entered her breaking voice.

Despite the lack of vision, Chikane could sense Himeko's warmth and footfalls drawing nearer step by step, each quicker and more urgent than the last. Prior the blackout, she was standing in a corner at the front of the elevator, near the navigation pane, and the golden-haired beauty standing at the opposite corner. Now, her own body, sensitive and attuned to that of the latter for some mysterious reason, informed her that the little angel was within her reach.

"I am here, Himeko." Her arms closed around the darkness and found in its midst a soft body of a girl who was trembling within an inch of her life. "Do not be afraid," she whispered soothingly. "I will keep you safe." Gently, she settled cross-legged down on the elevator's floor, lowered her first love onto her lap, and had the latter rest her side against her own heaving front. There, she tightened her arms protectively around Himeko's fragile frame to show her she meant what she said. There, her lips found the skin on the other girl's forehead again and again and again in soft, loving pecks meant for physical comfort.

The closeness helped. The shaking eventually ceased.

It was as though the absence of light had taken away Himeko's innate shyness. It was as if the lack of vision had made her bolder. She let Chikane offer her comforting kisses and sighed very softly, almost inaudibly, at each in contentment. The first time Chikane embraced her in the middle of that crowded junction, her senses were paralyzed by the torrential currents of emotions raging in her veins and clenching her heart. Now, she was aware of the other girl's body as though it was hers. _So soft,_ she marveled. _So warm._ The way the other girl had fitted so perfectly in Chikane's embrace gave her reasons to believe that the former must have been engineered specifically for her to hug.

"I'm sorry," Himeko murmured. Chikane could not see her, thanks to the darkness, but her image was alive in her blackened vision. Her mind even simulated the movements of the angel's irresistible pair of lips to match the words being strummed from her vocal cords. "I'm really afraid of the dark," she intimated, the different pitches she placed on her words formed a magical symphony in Chikane's ears. She was reminded of a time when she spent a perfect evening in the great Walt Disney Concert Hall, enjoying the performance of the inimitable Los Angeles Philharmonic. It was a sign that she was too deeply in love with the sunlit angel to even think about living without her. "If I don't keep a dim light on at night, I can't sleep."

"Maybe..." she whispered, "the presence of another person in your bed can help." Her arms tightened a little more and brought the breathtakingly soft girl in her embrace closer to her heaving front. The sudden rise in her little angel's body temperature informed Chikane that the former was blushing.

"I'm not too sure about that," confided the golden-haired beauty. "I shared a bed with Mako-chan a few times before... but it didn't really help."

"Who would this _'Mako-chan'_ be?" Her words were still as civil as any school teacher could have wanted, but Chikane heard her voice grow cool at the unexpected name. "I thought you did not have a romantic interest." That came out a little icier than she had intended. She winced. Only more than an hour of acquaintance and she had already developed a jealousy toward someone who she did not even know. Ruefulness struck her.

"Oh no! We aren't like that!" Himeko said hastily, probably having sensed the change in Chikane's tone. "Mako-chan was my roommate in high school. She's," she swallowed audibly, "a track-and-field athlete. Sometimes she was so exhausted after practice that she crashed in on the wrong bed." A soft and fond chuckle gained voice in the confined space. This time, it conjured the memories of a wind chime in her head. "I didn't have the heart to kick her out, and she held onto me really tightly," envy staked Chikane through with its blunt blade, "so I let her sleep with me."

"I see," she said simply.

"There's nothing between us, really!" A pair of soft hands was laid against Chikane's cheeks. Hot, fragrant breaths invaded Chikane's nose. Her heart went wild. Unless her senses failed her, the angel's face was no more than an inch away. If she moved in, she might just be able to claim that cherry petal mouth. The urge, which was there since the beginning, only grew stronger after the violent storm of images in her presidential suite. "I only thought of her as a best friend! And... she's getting married two days from now. So, please, don't be..." An audible click of teeth. Another several degrees rise in temperature. A quickening of breaths. _Don't be jealous, okay?_ Chikane finished mentally. No confessions had been exchanged, no declaration of love made, yet already they behaved like a true couple completely crazy about each other. _A good thing, I guess,_ she mused.

"Do you know the groom?" she asked. Somehow, this dark elevator had become as comfortable as a table in a coffee house... or maybe even the comfy mattress in a Grand Central suite.

"Yes. He's my childhood friend. His name's Oogami Souma." Affection rang in her words.

"You must have been overjoyed."

"Of course!" Himeko gushed. A gust of hot breath caressed Chikane's skin, reminding her that the morning light of her world had not increased the intimate distance between their faces. She did not want her to. "My heart almost burst when they suddenly told me they wanted me to be the bridesmaid at their wedding the day after tomorrow."

"I... see," she muttered, unable to keep the dejection out of her voice.

The girl she loved heard it.

"Is there something wrong?"

"I am feeling envious and spiteful," she confessed to the warm and sensual darkness sitting atop her lap. The tip of her nose nuzzled against that of the little angel. She did not shy back. She only hesitated for a split second before she reciprocated with the same affectionate action. Chikane thought she almost tasted the sweetness of the golden-haired beauty's lips.

"Toward whom?" Puzzlement colored her words.

"The best man who is going to stand beside the groom at the wedding."

"Did Oogami Kazuki-sensei do something to offend you?" She sounded surprised and doubtful. "The High Priest is a very nice and generous man."

"I do not know him," Chikane allowed. "In fact, I do not know his _name_ until you said it."

"Then why?" She detected amusement blended with curiosity from her sweetheart.

"Because he can be there with you at the altar," she whispered. "Because he can look at you. Because he can see you smile on the happiest day of your friends' life. That does not exactly get him into my good book."

A pause. A deep intake of breath. A crisp rustle of clothes. A shift in position.

Himeko's arms wrapped quite lovingly around Chikane's waist. A side of her unseen face rest comfortably on Chikane's shoulder. Her nose was buried in the crook of Chikane's neck. Her modest bosom pressed against Chikane's chest in a very innocent yet seductive fashion. She could feel the curves very well with her heaving front. She could hear the blood roaring deafeningly in her ears. She could sense her heart trying to climb up her throat. If Heaven existed, it would be a place like this elevator.

"He's old enough to be my father," the darkness-clad angel whispered, her lips nuzzling the pulse on Chikane's throat. "He's _like_ a father to me. It's him who's sponsoring my education in college." She said no more, but what was left unsaid was clear as crystal. _He's not a threat to you, Chikane-chan,_ the dark sang in quietness. Her heart hummed along in a glorious rhythm.

"Speaking of which," Chikane brushed her sweetheart's fine golden tresses. "What school do you go to? What are you studying?" Excitement flooded her voice.

"I'm a Photography Major at the Izumo Open University," Himeko revealed. "What about you? Are you still going to school?" The name of the school tugged at the back of Chikane's mind, but at the moment, her brain was not functioning at all. After all, it was too busy processing the sensual feelings that every inch of her body in contact with the sun of her world was receiving. After all, she was too engrossed in enjoying the blessed presence to think about anything else.

"I finished school a while ago," Chikane said. "I have a job now."

"Oh, really? What do you do?"

Chikane did not have a chance to answer, for the light overhead had flashed back into life, causing her eyes to squeeze shut. When she could open them again, her breath caught. A fraction of inch from her face was the girl she loved, her cheeks reddened to the color of a sunset, her amethyst eyes widened as far as possible, and her lips almost on top of Chikane's. She had not imagined that they were so close in the dark.

"I'm sorry!" the golden-haired beauty squeaked and literally jumped backward, her deathly shyness returned to her whole.

Sighing deeply in regret and the depressing absence of the other girl in her arms, Chikane gracefully rose to her feet moments before the elevator made its way up once more.

"I think it's because of the storm two days ago," said Himeko as she dry-washed her hands. "Even the phone line was damaged."

"I see," Chikane muttered glumly. What seemed to be guilt stole across the angel's gorgeous face.

The elevator's door slid sideways and the navigation pane beeped aloud, announcing that they had reached the second floor of the Kanagawa Apartment complex.

"Let's go, Chikane-chan," the little angel invited. Unexpectedly, she threaded the fingers of her right hand with those on Chikane's left, held it tightly, offered her a shy look, and led her out of the confined space where they spent the last few minutes in darkness and heart-warming intimacy. By the time they stopped in front of the golden-haired girl's apartment, which was only a few seconds away from the elevator itself, a huge smile was adorning Chikane's lips.

Saotome Makoto had been waiting in the darkness for an hour. She was about to give up and turn on the light in this apartment, the glass double doors at the far end of which had been curtained shut to prevent the sunlight from passing through, when she heard the metallic sound of a key being inserted into the lock. Letting out a hiss to silence the other lurkers, who had been chatting to one another in a low voice to relieve one another's boredom, she inched forward and held her breath.

 _"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"_ every mouth there was bellowed at the same time the door swung open and let the light of the late afternoon flooded into the apartment. Applauds generated by all five pairs of excited hands cut the air like thunder.

Kurusugawa Himeko, once her roommate in the Ototachibana Dorm, stood dumbfounded at the entrance, her hands clutched at her mouth, her amethyst eyes accumulating moisture at a neck-breaking rate. The golden-haired Photography Major was not alone. Standing next to her, seeming equally surprised, was a person who was undoubtedly the prettiest girl in all of Mahoroba. _Have I seen her somewhere before?_ Makoto thought. _She seems so familiar._

"You guys..." The rest of the sentence was swallowed up by a loud, emotional sob. It took her a few moments, during which her queenly companion surveyed Makoto as well as her fellow lurkers with a pair of icy sapphire eyes, to find her tearful voice back. "I didn't even remember..."

"You forgot your birthday every year," Makoto teased good-naturedly. "I think it's become my permanent job to remind you. You never paid me, by the way."

The people whom she brought along to this very apartment laughed heartily at the remark. The Photography Major blushed. The blue-haired girl standing next to her confined herself to a quiet chuckle, her sapphire eyes riveted on the golden-haired girl's reddening face in such a fond and affectionate way that Makoto was reminded of how her beloved fiancée always looked at her when they were only boyfriend and girlfriend. _Something's amiss,_ she decided. _Don't tell me..._

"Hey, don't keep your guest at the door!" she chided. "It's your apartment, for pity's sake!"

"Oh, right!" Her former roommate gave her companion an apologetic look, which earned her a smile that said none was needed. "Come in, Chikane-chan!" The name rang loudly in Makoto's head yet failed to remind her where she had heard it from. One thing was clear, though. As soon as the blue-haired girl set foot in the living room, she dominated the small apartment like the moon would the nocturnal sky. Makoto could sense her friends, most of whom were chatterboxes, quiet down and marvel internally at the regal presence of Himeko's guest. _How the heck did this scaredy cat_ "befriend" _someone this impressive? How long has she been hiding her?_ Another thing to pester her former roommate with when they were alone.

"This is Himemiya Chikane-chan," the Photography Major introduced, her hand gesturing at her queenly companion. "And this person here is my best friend, Saotome Makoto."

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance," she said and offered her hand to the queenly girl, meanwhile pondering whether this stranger was related to Himemiya Kyou, the wealthiest businessman of Mahoroba. She had actually only intended to say a simple _"Nice to meet you."_ It was beyond her why the thought was transformed into the utterly formal greeting by the time it reached her lips.

"And mine," Himemiya greeted as she took Makoto's hand and gave a gentle shake. Her voice was as beautiful as her appearance, albeit a little too formal and cool for Makoto's taste. "Congratulations on your wedding two days from now. I wish you a lifetime of happiness." Her eyebrows lifted in surprise. It suddenly dawned on her that her former roommate must have been the one who spilled the beans.

"Oogami Souma," Himeko's hand moved to Makoto's immediate left, "her fiancé."

Silence. The blue-haired girl's facial expression never changed that Makoto saw, but suddenly a cloak of cool disinterest draped over the former and an air of apprehension embraced the tall, blade-slender frame of Makoto's sweetheart. A staring match ensued, during which Himeko looked like a fish in hot water.

Souma cracked under the pressure first.

"Hello," he said stiffly, but not impolitely. He didn't even seem to know why he was so unsettled.

"Good afternoon," said Himemiya Chikane in a voice that bore the power of an arctic blast. No handshake was exchanged. Makoto's hackles wanted to rise. They looked like a pair of wet cats that found themselves trapped in one small room.

"Um... this one right here is Kouzuki Takako," Himeko said hurriedly and diverted the blue-haired girl's attention to a flame-haired one standing to Souma's left as though wanting to defuse the time bomb waiting to explode. Pleasantries resumed being exchanged in a very civilized, if a touch too formal, fashion as the rest of the gang was introduced. All of them had been classmates and friends during the three years of senior high school although they each went their own way since graduation. Takako decided not to attend college just so she had time to learn to manage her family business, a bridal shop. It was her who had chosen Makoto's gown and Souma's tuxedo for the wedding the day after next. It was her who had provided the thousand details that would make it work. They were eternally grateful.

The other four, including Makoto and her fiancé themselves, chose to pursue higher education. Awarded with a generous scholarship, she came to Izumo University as a star athlete in track-and-field. Souma figured that since he liked the idea, he enrolled in the School of Business Administration of Izumo and studied as hard as he ever did. Igarashi Aiko, a bookworm whose nerdy glasses failed to diminish her beauty, went to a different college in town. There, she elected Chemistry to be her focus in life and shut herself inside a laboratory, where rumors stated that frequent maniacal laughter and occasional screams could be heard. Nakashima Miho, a girl with the oddest taste in color – she dyed her hair green, wanted to become a Physics professor, so she went to the same school as Aiko, also her best friend and her current roommate.

"So you have been keeping contact since high school?" Himemiya Chikane inquired, her deep blue hair gathering the illumination of the sun beyond the uncurtained glass double door at the other side of the room, which would open to a large balcony.

Once the introduction was over, she had settled down, quite gracefully and regally Makoto might add, on the smallest of the three couches surrounding a glass table. Sitting next to her was the golden-haired scaredy cat, seemingly torn between keeping her distance from her obvious target of affection and reducing it to nothingness. In the beginning, Makoto had wanted to _"inconvenience"_ her best friend by trying to sit between them. She failed. A cool look from Himemiya Chikane had banished her to the opposite couch with her fiancé, where she wondered how she had been cowed with such contemptuous ease. Unaware of the byplay, the rest of the gang all took seats.

"Yes," the flame-haired Takako confirmed. "We would gather around at each other's birthday and celebrate. Kinda strange how she," dark eyes swiveled to Himeko's face, "never failed to remember ours while kept forgetting hers." The Photography Major flushed slightly.

"Strange?" the bespectacled Aiko scoffed playfully. "Don't you remember how many times she forgot bringing her homework while in high school?"

"I had always thought that it was just an excuse so that she could copy ours." Miho laughed.

"Hey, she's lazy, but not _that_ lazy, okay?" Makoto defended her former roommate, pretending not to notice a weak _"Mako-chan!"_ from the latter. "She did like to read magazines and manga excessively, but she did stay up late every night _try_ to finish her homework despite the fact that she _often_ got them wrong." Laughter erupted while the golden-haired girl's complexion became red enough for a tomato.

"Well, I believe the staying up late part," said Takako judiciously. "But I don't buy the _'studying'_ one." Mischief flashed almost maliciously in her eyes. "You know what, girls? I bet Makoto and Himeko did many interesting things at night, seeing how close they were."

Makoto swallowed audibly. _Now this is new,_ she thought, already regretting poking fun at the Photography Major. It was a well-established fact that Kouzuki Takako loved to tease any who had given her an opening. She never held back even with her close friends.

"What?" Miho feigned a scandalous gasp. The three of them were on the same couch. "Taka-chi, are you suggesting that Hime-chi and Mako-chi went at it like rabbits in their room behind our backs?"

"I think so too!" Aiko chirped in excitedly. "I heard they slept on the same bed! That had to be why they nodded off in class every morning!" What she said were all true, but in a twisted kind of way. It was undeniable that Makoto sometimes crashed in on the wrong bed and that both she and her best friend could not control their sleepiness, but that was only because Classic Literature and History often fell into the first period slots.

"Souma, you better pay attention to your future wife," the young mistress of the bridal shop warned. "Don't let her out of your sight. Never let Himeko sleep over, okay?" The three girls hooted into laughter at that.

The only boy in the room turned to Makoto and smiled as though assuring her that he was not going to believe a word they said despite being aware she once harbored a huge crush on her best friend. Like her, he had known Takako for too long to not know that she had developed her teasing into an art.

"And you told me your Mako-chan was just a _friend_ , Himeko," remarked Himemiya Chikane, her playful tone the proof that she, too, realized that Aiko, Miho, and Takako were just having fun.

The golden-haired girl let out a sigh of relief of enormous proportions. As far as Makoto could see, the panic painted all over her face while her friends were taking turn jabbing verbally at her as well as the anxious looks she shot her queenly friend indicated that she was afraid the latter would misunderstand her and Makoto's purely platonic relationship.

The door bell rang, announcing the arrival of a guest. Slightly puzzled, Himeko bounded to her feet and went to open the door. A few seconds later, she brought into the living room a person who happened to be a fellow student from the dance class that Himeko, Makoto, and Souma took to fulfill their General Education in college.

Renna Akemi, a very pretty girl with short black hair, was the daughter to Mayor of Mahoroba. Before becoming a successful politician, the kind and well-loved middle-aged man was the head of a law firm that amassed an amazing number of skillful attorneys. Now his only son, older brother to Akemi herself, managed the firm and continued to make more money than the rest of Mahoroba's population, of course with the sole exception of his Mightiness Himemiya Kyou, the C.E.O. of Himemiya International. Despite being born with a golden key in her mouth, Akemi was a serious person who did her best at everything she put a mind to. A very talkative girl and a formidable debater, she was perfect to follow her father and brother's footsteps. When she graduated from Izumo's Law School, she was going to be a lawyer who could bend the truth to her will.

Another round of introduction went on before Akemi sat down next to Makoto and Souma on the couch. Makoto was under the impression that the future lawyer had considered the seat by Himeko's side first but rejected the idea for some mysterious reason.

"I thought you said you couldn't make it, Renna-san," Makoto stated. She herself had invited the girl to this surprise party for a reason, which she never revealed, no longer valid. She regretted it now.

"I did," affirmed the mayor's daughter. "I was supposed to go to the airport with my father and brother today to receive some important guests. As it turns out, they got the date and time wrong." She laughed and turned to the Photography Major. "Happy birthday, Kurusugawa-san." She produced from her bag a small box gift-wrapped in golden foil.

"Oh, thank you!" Himeko exclaimed happily and accepted it. Next to her, Himemiya Chikane was very still, her sapphire eyes locked on the face of the unaware Renna Akemi as though trying to puzzle out what the latter was planning. _Uh oh,_ Makoto thought in ruefulness. _She noticed. The girl's sharp!_

"And here's our present, Hime-chi," Nakashima Miho gushed as she took out from beneath the couch a big box in red foil. Pinned to the very top were a snowy ribbon and a small card with the names of all five people in the gang. Inside was a state-of-the-art camera that was just released into the market a few days ago. It was so expensive that all five of them had to pool in the cash to afford it. Worthwhile, in any case. It was high time her former roommate say goodbye to her obsolete camera, which gave her crappy picture quality although her choice of subjects and her skills were top-notch.

"I am sorry I do not have anything for you," Himemiya Chikane told the golden-haired girl ruefully. "I did not know."

"Oh, no, please don't say that!" Himeko said hurriedly. "I haven't even thanked you enough for what you've done for me today."

"What did she do?" Miho asked curiously. Aiko and Takako shot her a chiding look for being nosy, yet neither could they hide the fact that they wanted to know.

"I collapsed on the street earlier," Himeko professed. "Chikane-chan brought me back to her place," the full blush on her cheeks told Makoto that there was something fishy about _"her place"_ her former roommate elected not to mention, "and looked after me until I regained consciousness. She also gave me a ride home."

"Nothing worth mentioning." The blue-haired girl smiled indulgently.

"That's not true!" Makoto's best friend shook her head vigorously. "It means a lot to me. I'm just a stranger you met by chance, but you took care of me so thoroughly even though you could just leave me to my own devices." Himemiya fell quiet.

Makoto and the rest of the gang blinked repeatedly in shock. _What the...?_

"Pardon," said Renna Akemi in a voice racked with disbelief, "but did you just say that you two just met for the first time today?" The daughter to the mayor had just voiced the question that Makoto was about to ask. Judging by her high school classmates and fiancé, it was theirs, too. Personally, she had thought the two girls had been dating in secret for years.

"Um... yes," answered the Photography Major. "Is there something wrong?"

Akemi clammed up.

Makoto could guess why the short-haired girl was puzzled. She must have been wondering why Himemiya Chikane, someone who had only known Himeko for less than a day, received the special treatment, meaning the intimate _"-chan"_ added to her name, while Akemi herself was still being addressed with her family name despite their four-week acquaintance in the ballroom dancing class. Although it was indeed unfair, she had no reason to complain. Himeko was ever a deathly shy girl. Makoto herself had had to try her best in cultivating friendship with her for one whole year before she, too, was awarded the given-name basis and that childlike suffix.

 _So is this the love-at-first-sight thing?_ she speculated in amusement. _And here I am, afraid that she'll never find love._

Akemi cleared her throat, her facial expression firming in determination. "In any case," she spoke with a serious tone, "can I have a few words with you, Kurusugawa-san?" Glancing briefly at Himemiya, she added, "In private."

 _She's desperate,_ Makoto thought. _This isn't good._ She turned to her future husband. He sighed and shook his head. _Now if something bad happens, it's my fault._

"Yes, of course," Himeko assented in a wondering voice before she rose to her feet and went with the future lawyer to the balcony. The walk was short, for they only needed to climb two steps of stair to the far end of the room, where a single-sized bed was placed, and open the double doors to get to their destination. With the large glass panes and a fair distance in the way, the people in the living room could not possibly hear what was being said.

"So you invited her over, Makoto?" Takako said offhandedly and continued at a hesitant nod, "You had some ulterior motive, didn't you?" A wide grin decorated her face.

"Well, yes," Makoto admitted, wishing that Himemiya Chikane would take her sapphire eyes off of her. They made her really uncomfortable. "Don't you guys remember how Himeko turned down everybody who asked her out with the same ridiculous excuse every time?" The gang nodded.

"Ridiculous excuse?" the blue-haired girl repeated.

"Um... I forgot the exact wording..." Makoto hesitated. "Souma, help me out?" She gave her fiancé a wry look that made the handsome boy wince. She always joked about it despite its being one of his sore spots. He never got mad at her though, for he had already gotten over it. He was hers now, in heart and soul.

 _"I have a person I want to wait for,"_ he quoted in a solemn voice, _"I don't know who... but it's someone in this world who's waiting just for me. I believe that we can meet someday, that we will meet. So I want to wait for that person."_ He sighed and began to sweat under the blue-haired girl's unblinking gaze, which seemed to demand a more elaborate answer he was definitely not going to give. Makoto couldn't guess why he acted so peculiarly in front of Himemiya Chikane, but she knew he would not tell her that he had been rejected by the same devastating lines by his first love.

"You remember very clearly, Sou-kun," Miho teased. He gave her a look that spurred her on to laugh aloud. Quickly, Takako and Miho, who flanked her on the couch, joined her mirth. They all knew the story. Not a one of them was gentle when they mentioned it.

"In any case," Makoto interjected, "she's been quite lonely for a while now, so Souma and I talked her into taking a ballroom dancing class to keep her company. Renna Akemi happens to be in the same class. I think the girl's taken a liking toward Himeko on the first day. Luckily, or maybe unfortunately, they were usually paired up, so Himeko eventually opened up to Akemi. I thought they looked good together... so I..." Her voice trailed off. Beyond the glass double doors, the two of them were still talking, the golden-haired girl getting more flustered by the minute and the dark-haired one growing more emphatic with every gesture she made with her hands.

Then it was done. As soon as Himeko opened her mouth and spoke, the future lawyer was deflated. Makoto knew what that meant.

"Another victim of that _ridiculous excuse_ ," opined Takako.

Makoto disagreed, but she kept her tongue in check.

The double doors swung open and Renna Akemi stepped inside dejectedly, leaving Himeko standing by herself at the balcony and gazing into the distance with guilt splashed all over her saddened face. Quietly, Himemiya Chikane rose from the couch and went to where the Photography Major was. She only paused to give the daughter to the mayor a look of the sympathy when they passed by one another on the way.

"I thought you said I had a chance, Saotome-san," said Akemi as she plopped onto the empty couch. Her voice was so quiet and low in spirit it was rather difficult to imagine she was the same person who could not stop talking during breaks in the ballroom dancing class.

"I'm sorry, Renna-san," Makoto apologized. The short-haired girl didn't seem to have heard.

"Please tell me I haven't been working up my courage to confess to her just to be told that she already found someone she loved," she muttered darkly.

Makoto exchanged a look with Takako, whose eyes tried to climb of her scalp. Souma appeared dumbstruck. _So I'm right after all._ Although she was feeling very sorry for Akemi, she couldn't help feeling a rush of joy for her former roommate.

"I shouldn't be staying." The short-haired girl stood up. "You all have a wonderful evening." She left with an air of a soldier who had lost the most important battle of her life. The door closed shut.

"That was really awkward... but I think we should get on with the party," Aiko suggested, her fore and middle finger adjusting her square glasses. The other two girls nodded in agreement. There was definitely no need to dwell on such an awkward experience, after all. "Let's get to work!"

When Himeko and her queenly companion returned from the balcony, the couches had been pushed to the edges of the living room and a large piece of cloth had been laid on the tiled floor. On it sat dishes full of food, bought before hand and was just now warmed up in the kitchen's oven, seven empty bowls, and equally many pairs of chopsticks. Makoto was surprised, however, seeing how her best friend looked as though nothing had happened between her and the mayor's daughter. Her eyes fell on Himemiya Chikane in a newfound respect. She did not know how the blue-haired girl managed it, but it was obvious she had helped the Photography Major recover from the guilt of rejecting the confession of a girl who had always been nice and caring toward her. Normally, such process would not take less than a full day.

The feast began, laughter rang endlessly in the modest apartment, and all woes they might have of the world and college life were cast away. What remained was only happiness. The party took a step astray, however, when Miho brought out the bottle of red Bordeaux she had bought on the way here and poured every one a glassful each. Souma declined his, for he was responsible for driving everyone back home safely with his car. Himemiya Chikane, who had offered Makoto's fiancé a look of newfound respect, did not drink a drop because she, too, had to drive home later. Himeko had looked so crestfallen hearing that.

Not letting the bubble burst, the Fanatic Trio, the memberships of which included Takako and Miho and Aiko, downed one glass after another. Even Himeko and Makoto herself were infected by their good mood and helped themselves to a few sips of the wine. Her fiancé and Himemiya simply sat there and watched with amusement painted on their faces. They looked a pair of adults who were only there to make sure the children didn't cause any mischief. It irked Makoto somewhat.

"Don't drink too much, Himeko," she remembered telling her best friend, who seemed to be liking the alcohol too much. She rarely drank, but when she did, she did _a lot._ Every drop of the liquor was like a nail on the coffin of her self-restraints. "You have an assignment tomorrow, remember?"

"I know, I know, don't worry," said the Photography Major, her face a little red, her voice overly cheerful. Makoto groaned inwardly and glared sideways at the Fanatic Trio, who was hooting at some joke that Takako told. They either were too drunk or elected not to notice.

"Assignment?" Himemiya Chikane asked. "What kind?"

"I'm a member of the Izumo Weekly, Chikane-chan" Himeko intimated proudly. "I'm their photographer." She gave a loud hiccup that brought an indulgent smile to her queenly companion's face.

"A relatively well-known vocalist named Korona is going to perform at our university tomorrow," Makoto elaborated. "The newspaper staff is responsible for an article on the performance. She's supposed to be providing them with pictures."

"I see," the blue-haired girl said simply.

"We should bring out the cake," Souma whispered into Makoto's ear. "Wait anymore and your best friend will be too drunk to hold the knife." She agreed and went to the fridge in the kitchen.

Taking the cue, the Fanatic Trio and Souma began singing the birthday song as soon as Makoto entered the living room with a huge ice cream cake in her hands. By the time the final verse was uttered, Himeko had already burst into tears. She did that every time. Smiling gently, Himemiya Chikane comforted her with words too soft to be heard by any other ears and even stroked her back in such a loving manner that Makoto eyed her future husband in an attempt to have him relieve her enviousness. He laughed and shook his head. He was ever a prude, Makoto conceded to herself. No way in hell he would display his affections toward her in public.

Once Himeko's onslaught of emotions had died down, she blew off the two candles, shaped like a one and a nine, and proceeded to cut the cake into uneven slices. The largest of them, bearing the most strawberries on top, she dedicated to the blue-haired girl despite the good-natured protests of the Fanatic Trio. The cheerful atmosphere once again settled into the living room until Igarashi Aiko, whether she just wanted to or was under the influence of alcohol, shuffled over to the stereo system, which happened to be the birthday present from two years ago, and put on some slow instrumental ballades, the kind of music that Himeko liked the most.

"Sou-kun, Mako-chi!" hollered Nakashima Miho. "Dance for us! You're taking that ballroom dancing class, aren't you?" The other two members of the Trio wolf-whistled aloud.

"No room," Souma said simply, his hand indicating the occupied floor.

"We'll make room for you!" cried Kouzuki Takako.

They did. Despite the alcohol in their blood, the Trio was most impressive in clearing up the mess they had caused earlier. In almost no time at all, the dishes had been put inside the dishwasher, yet another birthday present from last year, the cloth inside the washing machine, and the floor perfectly cleaned.

"Now dance! Dance! Dance!" the Trio chanted as one.

Souma relented. He never had a chance to do as requested, though, for Himemiya Chikane had already spoken up and stopped him in his tracks. "Would you allow me the first dance, Oogami-san?" The room quieted down.

"With whom?" he asked apprehensively.

Not answering, the blue-haired girl rose most elegantly to her feet and put herself in front of the golden-haired girl. "Fair lady," she asked and bowed to the Photography Major in the same manner that a man would in front of a woman in the class, "would you favor me with a dance?" She looked up, offered a hand toward the other girl, and smiled a smile that would have had most men kneel at her feet.

"Yes," Himeko answered breathlessly as she took her queenly companion's hand. _Princely now,_ Makoto corrected herself mentally. Himemiya Chikane had just proved that she was more suited to be a prince's role than that of a queen. A look at the Trio's face affirmed that they shared the same thought.

Makoto watched in silence as the two girls moved to the center of the floor. The stereo system switched to a new track. Musical notes filled the air. Himemiya Chikane, who seemed to have decided to become the leader, placed her hand on Himeko's back and clasped her hand between their heaving chests. Gingerly, the Photography Major laid her vacant hand on her princely companion's shoulder and allowed the latter to take the first step. The most sensual dance Makoto had ever witnessed graced this modest apartment.

With her shyness subdued by the liquor, the golden-haired girl put forth her heart and soul into the slow but mesmerizing Viennese Waltz she learned a week earlier. Beat by beat they glided atop the floor in their closed position, their hands clasped tight, their noses drawing in one another's breaths, and their eyes locked in an emotional perpetuity. It was like their bodies had been melted into one. It was as though their hearts were connected. It was as if each of them knew exactly how the other was going to move next. It was a flawless rhythm. It was a perfect dance only Makoto's teachers, married for years now, could perform in front of the class.

 _Whether you can dance well depends on how much you trust your partner,_ they had lectured, _how much you are attuned to each other's movements, and how strong your mental connection is. A dance is like a marriage. Without love, patience, and trust, it's not going to work._

Their words had never rung truer now.

Makoto decided to, as Aiko would put it, add a little catalyst to the chemical reaction of love between her best friend and her prince on the white horse. Silently she moved to where the stereo system was, picked up the remote control, and punched in the number of a song at the end of the music CD. The slow ballade was quickly replaced by an upbeat song that was more than just sensual in nature. Nobody noticed it. Souma and the Trio were placing their full attention on the beautiful movements of the two girls. Himemiya Chikane and Kurusugawa Himeko themselves were too engrossed with each other they seemed to have adapted to the music without thoughts.

The distance between the two widened and shortened according to the tantalizing beats. Graceful turns were made atop the floor, each raising its temperature a few degrees despite the coldness of the night oozing in from the opened doors of the balcony. Body parts took a more active role in the quickening rhythm. Hands stroked cheeks, palms caressed backs and arms and waistlines and hips and even behinds, fingers combed through blue and golden tresses, noses rubbed lovingly together, chests embraced and kissed more often and lingered on each other for longer periods of time.

Makoto was amazed. She had never imagined that the clumsy Himeko could perform so well with a girl she only met earlier on the street. She had never thought her best friend could be so daring in front of other people. She had never expected that the Photography Major could look so happy in a dance.

She did not realize that she had tears in her eyes until her fiancé dabbed at her face with the sleeve of his button shirt and draped an arm across her shoulders. "Why are you crying?" he asked soothingly.

"Why shouldn't I?" she said quietly. "One of my dreams has just come true."

"What might it be?"

"Seeing Himeko find happiness," she answered. "I couldn't bring it to her no matter how much I tried. Now, someone else has done it for me. I'm really glad, Sou-chan."

"So am I," he whispered. Both of them used to be head over heels in love with the golden-haired girl. None of them wished to see her living on without someone to make her smile and care for her the way a true lover would. "So am I."

Eventually, the music died down and the CD stopped. Once they did, Kurusugawa Himeko and Himemiya Chikane found themselves standing with their fronts pressed firmly together, both breathing hard. The blue-haired girl's arms were tight around the golden-haired one's waist, and those of the latter wrapped about the former's neck. Their noses were issuing soft but ragged breaths, their sapphire and amethyst gazes filled with each other's vision, and their lips slightly opened as though wanting to offer one another kisses on the mouth. They appeared to want to very much, but something was stopping them.

 _It's us,_ Makoto thought. _They're still very conscious of the surrounding._ She laughed quietly to herself. She could very well imagine what would have happened had they been alone in this living room.

The amazement that had fastened its arms around the Fanatic Trio finally departed, compelling them to applaud as loudly as thunder. Reluctantly, the two dancers broke apart and bowed to the audience. Suddenly, the blue-haired girl blinked as though she just realized that she had forgotten something she shouldn't have. Her face firmed in determination.

"I forgot my cell phone in the car," she told the birthday girl, her voice loud enough to carry to where Makoto stood, "My parents should be frantically trying to reach me by now. I will be right back."

Makoto spied apprehension on Himeko's beet-red face and unshed tears in her amethyst eyes when the moment the latter's princely companion stepped out of the door. An explanation came to her like the breaking dawn. _She knows the time to say goodbye is approaching,_ Makoto thought. _She wants Himemiya Chikane to stay for the night but can't bring herself to say it._ The Photography Major had always had a hard time voicing her wish, for she never wanted to inconvenience anybody.

 _I'll be your fairy godmother today, roommie,_ she decided. _I'll grant your wish._

Earlier, she had learned from Himemiya Chikane that the girl drove a Mercedes MNK 1010, the best car money could buy. She had seen it in a magazine once. It was improbable that two of them could be simultaneously parked in front of the Kanagawa Apartments.

"Sou-chan," she whispered into her future husband's ear. "As soon as your natural enemy," he winced at both the words and at her wicked grin, "I want you to go down there and deflate the tires of that damn Mercedes by whatever means you can come up with. Himemiya Chikane is not going anywhere tonight."


	2. Himeko

**_CHAPTER TWO: HIMEKO._**

* * *

"Can't you stay for a little longer, Chikane-chan?" Kurusugawa Himeko asked in a pleading voice.

She and the blue-haired princess were the only ones left in her apartment. About half an hour earlier, Souma-kun and Mako-chan had had to lug the Fanatic Trio, all of whom were dead drunk from the insane amount of liquor they ingested, to his car while saying in a half-serious voice that he should just put them in the trunk instead of the backseats. To Himeko's relief, her target of adoration and affection had chosen to remain for another while and engage with her in conversations about anything that popped up in her mind. Still, she could not help feeling that the one-inch distance between their shoulders was still too great, recalling how soft the other girl's body had been while pressed against her during that sensual dance, and wanting to put her arms around her first love once more.

It also didn't help that she, too, had downed too much wine to effectively hold back her deepest desires. She couldn't tear her eyes from Chikane-chan's gorgeous face and irresistible lips. She found herself more and more aware of the delicious curves the princess's snowy one-piece dress failed to hide. She had never _wanted_ someone so much she was afraid she was going insane.

"I am sorry, Himeko," apologized the princess. "It is too late already." She glanced at the clock on the wall, which read eleven in the evening. Time sure flew when Himeko was having fun, especially in the presence of her first love. "I need to wake up very early tomorrow, you see."

"Then I guess I can't be helped," she said dejectedly. The more time she spent with her beloved Chikane-chan, the more she realized that she could never get enough. Physical attractions aside, she felt that they were connected on so many levels they could have been a soul that was just split and housed in different frames. The phrase _"hopelessly in love"_ barely scratched the surface of what she harbored toward the blue-haired princess. "I'll... see you to your car," she offered.

Anything to get her a few more minutes with the girl she loved. Anything to let her look at this beautiful being for another while. _Gods, why wasn't I born with more courage?_ she wondered. _If I can just open my mouth... If I can just tell her I wish her to stay..._

"Thank you," Chikane-chan murmured appreciatively.

The walk to the ground floor was stricken with silence and awkwardness. It was also short despite her insistence on taking the stairs. Chikane-chan never asked why – the girl did not seem remotely surprised when being led away from the elevator – so she didn't have to give a reason. In fact, she wanted to take the elevator in the hope that the incident in the early afternoon would repeat... yet she couldn't count on it to, for she knew that the God of Luck, were there one, had rarely been benevolent to her. That was why she had elected the good old stairs, which at least would guarantee her a few transient moments basking in the luminescence of the moonlight of her world.

Little did she expect to find luck on her side at the end of her short but heartbreaking journey.

"Does this happen often in this neighborhood?" the princess asked, her forefinger tapping her lips thoughtfully, her eyes transfixed at the flat tires of the Mercedes MNK 1010. It was granted that every car had a spare tire in the trunk in case of emergency. It would do little good now that all four had been deflated by someone who hands must have been moved by the Gods.

"Um... not really..." Himeko answered, sensing moisture sting in her eyes.

"This is bad," Chikane-chan assessed. "I would call an auto shop or my rental agency... but I have a feeling they have already closed down." Sapphire eyes, in which joy were twinkling like the million eyes of the nocturnal heavens on high, swiveled to meet Himeko's amethyst. "What do you think I should do?" There was no way she could miss the note of relief ringing in the princess's crystalline voice. She was not too much of an idiot to fail to realize that the love of her life had wanted to stay over as much as she herself did. She berated herself mentally for being such a weak-willed fool. She could have saved herself the agony had she just gathered her courage and asked.

"Why... why don't you crash in at my place for the night, Chikane-chan?" she proposed. "You can make your calls early tomorrow."

"Would it be okay? I mean, would it inconvenience you in any way should I stay over?"

"No! No!" She shook her head hastily. "Of course not!"

"Then... I will take you up on your offer, fair lady." Another of the princess's charming smiles crossed her lips as she took Himeko's right hand into hers and brought it to her mouth, where she placed a soft, lingering kiss on its back. "You have my gratitude. I cannot say how much your hospitality means to me." Himeko blushed. If her lips possessed even a shred of emotion, they would have been very jealous of the back of her hand, which her first love never let go even after they had climbed inside the elevator and pushed a button on the navigation pane.

The confined space began its slow ascent to the second floor.

"You look... disappointed somehow," Chikane-chan observed moments after the metal door slid sideways at their destination. She made no attempt to move out of the car. "What is wrong?" There was no curiosity in her voice. Only amusement and hints of encouragement for Himeko to tell the truth. She had a feeling that her beautiful princess was fully aware of what was going on in her mind. _She just wants me to say it, doesn't she?_

"I was hoping for another blackout," she confessed and blushed furiously at her first love's smile.

"Why?" the blue-haired girl asked innocently. "I thought you were afraid of the dark."

"Not with you in the same place..." Himeko answered honestly, feeling her cheeks burn. "Not if you'd... hold me tight like you did earlier..." It had to be the wine talking. The usually timid Kurusugawa Himeko couldn't have uttered words from the bottom of her heart so clearly and easily. She would have blushed herself to death first.

To her pleasant surprise, the princess pushed a button that closed the elevator's door. A swarm of butterflies violently trounced her stomach.

"If you want me to hold you," her regal companion spoke, "you but have to ask." Gentle arms flew around Himeko, pulling her into an embrace much tighter and more intimate than that which connected their body during the Viennese Waltz. Her heart pounded erratically against her first love's firm and ample chest. Her left shoulder was graced by her beautiful princess's chin. Her nose breathed in the fragrant scent soaked in every strand of deep blue hair of her sweetheart. She thought she was going to melt from the strong body heat invading her fibers of existence. Her arms slipped beneath those of the other girl, climbed upward, and deposited her hands on the small of the latter's back.

"Does the management have surveillance cameras installed in this elevator?" Chikane-chan asked, her embrace tightening. It was as though she wanted to absorb Himeko into herself. She didn't have any objection to that.

"Yes." The guard sitting in his office on the ground floor always monitored it. She suspected the old man was snoring atop his desk at this moment, though. He always did at night. The knowledge, coupled with the sudden question from the girl she loved, warmed the blood in her veins and pumped it to her cheeks.

"A blackout would have been very nice," the princess stated and continued to hold her close.

"Why... is that?" The girl's body temperature was climbing, Himeko noted in dizziness

Chikane-chan didn't answer. She laid a forefinger across Himeko's lips and smiled. Himeko thought she was going to pass out from that one meaningful gesture.

A loud beep and the flashing of the floor indicator announced that someone had just called for the elevator at the second floor.

"What a pity." The blue-haired girl let go of Himeko the instant the door slid sideways and admitted the bony figure of Kurozaki Tae, her neighbor. The middle-aged woman worked night-shift for a coffee house that opened twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Himeko didn't like her. The woman loved to stay indoors all day during weekends and do nothing except listening to her stereo blaring death metal music. She was the reason Himeko had to leave the apartment and did not return until late into the night, when she was sure Kurozaki had left for work. Her distance toward her neighbor had just increased a little bit now, she realized, for the latter had just disturbed her blessed moment with the one she loved. Worse, the bony stick – no other phrase would offer a more precise description – was peering into the elevator and at Chikane-chan the way a cat would a saucer of milk.

Nodding politely at the death metal addict, she led her beloved princess out of the elevator. Chikane-chan was wearing a secretive smile the whole time.

"You dislike that woman, do you not?" she asked as soon as they went inside the apartment and Himeko turned the lock.

"Dislike is such a strong word." She winced. "I'm just... not very chummy with her."

"Why not?" her sweetheart inquired.

"Well, she's really loud with her music," she explained. "And... she brought... strange women home." She blushed hotly. Gods, but the _noises_ they made – when it was still light out, no less! – were so embarrassing she either fled the apartment entirely or put on her earphones and wished she was deaf! She often caught herself wishing her indiscreet neighbor had purchased soundproofed walls. Plus, her lovers, whom she changed like clothes, looked more like thugs than decent folks. She knew she shouldn't judge a book by its cover... but she always felt as though they were undressing her with their eyes. Once she saved enough money, she was definitely getting out of here.

"You did too, Himeko." Her regal companion let out a melodious chortle as the two of them settled down on a couch, their hands still joined, their fingers threaded. "Did you not bring _me_ home? You should not have, you know. I am more dangerous than I look." Playfulness gleamed in her sapphire gems.

"I don't think so!" she argued. "I'm very comfortable around you!" Sometimes _too_ comfortable, in fact. "I... I trust you," she added with all the love she could conjure.

Smiling sweetly, her beloved reclined against the couch and simply studied Himeko with a pair of eyes that spoke volumes of affection. The princess's hand, very still around that of Himeko at first, began stroking hers in silence and stirring the emotions she didn't know she had.

The clock struck midnight.

"Don't you have to wake up early tomorrow, Chikane-chan?" she pointed out regretfully. She certainly wouldn't have minded spending the next few hours gazing at her sweetheart.

"Yes, I do," the princess confirmed.

"Then... perhaps you should go take a bath and then take a goodnight sleep," Himeko suggested.

"Good idea." The princess let go of her hand and rose to her feet. She paused. "But I did not bring any change of clothes."

"I... I'll lend you something," Himeko offered, her face warming up at the thought. "Um... what are your... sizes?"

The princess told her. She blushed harder. Their waist and hip measurements were roughly the same, as expected. Also as expected, their bust sizes were quite far apart. Her gaze wandered unconsciously to the ample bosom of the blue-haired girl and lingered there momentarily, where it admired her beautiful and sensual curves, before it cracked back to her like a whip. Himeko hastily cleared the indecent thoughts whirling in her mind and hurried to her bed, the thick wooden platform of which contained drawers where she put her sleepwear and her delicate clothes. In no time at all, she took out a white button shirt, the only color she had, and a white towel from two of the three drawers. The content of the third, however, stopped her dead in her tracks. _Do I... lend her my underwear as well?_ she thought in distress. _Gods, but I wish I hadn't thrown out the pajamas._

In the end, she decided that a bottomless Chikane-chan walking around her apartment might just be too much for her to take. She wanted her sweetheart to fall in love with her, if she hadn't already, not be disgusted by her unrestrained behaviors.

"What... color do you like, Chikane-chan?" She looked up from the drawer to find an empty living room at the far end of the apartment. Her sweetheart was nowhere in sight.

"What color do _you_ like?" The princess's arms slipped around her waist from behind, startling her in the process. Her heart raced at the speed of light as the other girl's gentle hands laced together against Himeko's abdomen and her full chest descended lovingly on Himeko's stiffened back. Chikane-chan's warm fragrant breaths were caressing Himeko's skin while the former's mouth nuzzled affectionately on her earlobe. The princess might be offended to the sky to know this... but she felt very nice even with all the layers of clothes separating their naked flesh. "Himeko?" she prompted after a moment of comfortable silence. Her sultry voice would have made a girl blush hotly enough to evaporate water. Like Himeko was now.

"Red," her mouth formed the word. It was her favorite color.

"Then red would be fine," said the girl she loved.

 _Is it my imagination... or is she trying to seduce me?_ she asked herself while retrieving out a pair of red panties from the drawer and laid it atop the towel. Suddenly, the princess's voice rang in her head. _"I am more dangerous than I look."_ She hoped it was true.

"Um..." she cleared her throat. "Here you go, Chikane-chan." Her hand indicated the items currently lying on the bed. Her target of affection paid them no mind. Instead, she untied her arms from Himeko's body – she had had to try her best to suppress a groan – and walked to where the clothes stand was. There, she picked up a button shirt of the same color and size as the one Himeko took out from the drawer of the bed.

"Would you give me this?" the princess requested with a voice so cute no one on earth would have the heart to refuse. "Please?"

"But I wore that one last night," Himeko said shyly. "I was in a hurry this morning... so I forgot to put it into the washing machine. The one on the bed was washed and laundered, Chikane-chan."

"I like this one better." She hugged the shirt tightly and buried her face in its fabric. She took a deep breath. "It smells like you. It has your warmth."

Words failed Himeko. Her cheeks gathered the heat of a thousand suns. She only got her voice back after a full minute had passed, during which her beloved princess gazed at her almost pleadingly. _She's so cute!_ a voice squealed at the back of her head.

"If... if you like, Chikane-chan," she assented. Not quite reluctantly, she might add.

"Thank you." Her sweetheart kissed her softly on her cheek, effectively turning her world upside down. She was kissed once back in the Mercedes and a few times in the darkness of the elevator... yet these were simply pecks either too quick or meant for comfort. This one, however, lingered on her skin long enough to send her into a powerful and gripping daze. She only snapped out of it a while later, when she realized that her target of affection had already gone into the bathroom, from where the sounds of water sprays striking the floor and flesh could be heard. Images streamed unchecked in her mind. She could very well imagine a naked princess whose curves were hidden by the steam and whose skin was caressed by the hot water. As she rose to her feet and sat down on the bed afterwards, her hands rose to place on either side of her face. Her skin was oven-hot.

The door to the bathroom swung open, hot air invaded the apartment, and Himeko decided she was looking at the most beautiful creature in the world. Since Chikane-chan was the taller between them, the shirt given to the former only covered an inch past her hips, unable to conceal the red pair of panties tightly embracing and kissing her most personal place, where her breathtakingly long and lithe thighs joined with her lower torso. The top two buttons of the shirt were left undone, revealing her pink seashell pendant and a considerable amount of cleavage. Since her skin was still moist from the shower, the fabric of the shirt clung to her, allowing Himeko to perceive the curves of the other girl's ample breasts and notice the delicious color of her areolas and firm rosebuds.

On Himeko, the button shirt and the piece of underwear looked plain. On Chikane-chan, they greatly augmented her natural charms and enhanced her beauty. _She would give a supermodel a run for her money,_ Himeko assessed.

The princess settled comfortably down on a couch, swung one arousingly slender leg over the other thigh, and began drying up her luxuriant blue hair with the towel. Even in that she was graceful.

"Why are you so quiet?" The love of her life crossed the living room and stood in front of her. "Something on your mind?"

"Um... I was just thinking that you looked beautiful in this getup, Chikane-chan," she confessed.

"You flattered me." Her sweetheart smiled. "I am sure you will look even better in the same outfit." Her hand stroked Himeko's head. "Would you let me see?" Long fingers lovingly cupped her chin. The sultriness was back in the princess's voice again, and it was pushing Himeko toward the edge.

"Let me take a bath first?" she requested. It was rather blurry at this point which one of them was the tenant of the apartment and which the guest.

"Of course." Chikane-chan nodded. "Do not take too long, ne?" she whispered. "It is very lonely without you by my side." Another kiss on the cheek. Himeko half-expected steams to rise from her ears.

It was the quickest shower Kurusugawa Himeko ever took. Emerging from the shower in the same white shirt, buttoned up all the way, and the same red panties, she found Chikane-chan standing on the balcony with her hands on the railing, her pretty mouth humming a melodious tune that Himeko couldn't recognize, and her face affectionate as it ever was. The naughty October breezes were gathering around the blue-haired girl, lifting the hem of her shirt often and uncovering her pretty back dimples, the round shape of her petite posterior, and the curvaceous divide separating her firm panties-clad cheeks. Up high, a sliver of the moon was being attended by its court of sparkly nobles. Down low, a full moon was shining where Chikane-chan stood.

Quietly, Himeko took a jacket from her clothes stand, went to the balcony, and draped it over her sweetheart's shoulders from behind.

"Thank you." The girl she loved turned around with a smile on her lips. Then she fell quiet as she surveyed Himeko's scantily-clad frame. "I was right," she intimated afterwards. "You look adorable in this outfit, Himeko." She blushed. Her princess smiled.

"What's the name of the tune you were humming, Chikane-chan?" she inquired. "I don't think I heard it before."

"It doesn't have a name yet," the moonlight of her world answered. "I just made it up."

"It's very nice," she complimented. "You sure have talents, Chikane-chan."

"You are spoiling me." Her first love chortled, sounding genuinely pleased.

A cool breeze seized Himeko abruptly and departed the following heartbeat, leaving her standing there shivering and running her hands up her arms to generate some warmth. Smiling, the blue-haired princess took off the jacket and put it on Himeko. "You need this more than I," she whispered.

"Should we go back in?" Himeko opined. "It's cold out here."

"Yes." Chikane-chan draped an arm across her shoulder, pulled her closer, and walked with her back inside the apartment. The glass double doors swung shut. It was only a little warmer than outside. The owner of the Kanagawa Apartments had a lot of things to offer his tenants, but he wasn't rich enough to give them either a heating system or an air conditioner. That was why this apartment was very hot in summer and freezing when winter came.

"Are you sleepy yet, Chikane-chan?" She winced at the hopeful note in her voice. She sounded desperate. To hide her flustered expression, she took off her jacket, hung it back on the clothes stand, and sat down on the bed. Her target of affection remained standing, her back leaning against the double doors, her frame accentuated by the silvery light cascading down from the moon atop the starlit heavens.

"A little bit. Will you let me borrow a pillow and a blanket?" she said, her lips wearing a secretive smile. "I will sleep on the couch."

"I... don't have a spare of... either," Himeko stammered. During the one year she lived in this apartment, she never expected to have a guest. Neither did she imagine that when she did, the guest would happen to be the love of her life.

"That is not good," the other girl assessed, her smile bordering on mischievousness.

"Well... if you don't mind... we can share the bed and the blanket." Himeko glanced at the single-sized mattress and blushed. Although she had been trying to have the girl she loved stay the night, she never once thought about them sleeping on the same bed. "It's a little small, though. We... might have to squeeze in."

"I am glad it is small," the princess said quietly. "That way, I can have an excuse to cuddle you in bed." Himeko found her breaths hot enough to sear the insides of her nostrils. "In case you have not noticed, I love holding you, Himeko."

"Then... come here, please...?"

She extended a hand toward the other girl. Once she took it, Himeko drew her closer until the latter stood right in front of her. She didn't expect her beautiful princess to place her hands on her shoulders, lower her onto the mattress with the gentleness once would employ to treat a lover, and climb onto all four atop her flimsy-clad frame. Chikane-chan's shapely bosom hung an inch atop her heaving own. Her hands itched to rise an enfold them, caress them, and touch them through the thin fabric. Unwilling to let that happen, she put her arms around her sweetheart's back and pulled the latter down until her gentle weight was fully deposited atop Himeko's body. Unfortunately, the other girl's mind-blowing softness and warmth provided no distraction from the fire burning fiercely where her smooth and toned thigh was pressed against the sensitive region between Himeko's legs. She didn't know whether Chikane-chan did it on purpose, but she did know that unless something be done soon, she was going delirious with love and desires.

"How many have you taken to your bed, Himeko?" the blue-haired girl asked. Her tone made it clear she wasn't inquiring as to the number of people Himeko had slept _next to_ on the same bed.

"None," she answered truthfully. Quite unlike many of youngsters her age, including her friends, she had done everything she could to keep herself out of temptation, not that she had ever been tempted to be unfaithful to the one person she had been waiting for. Her Innocence was still untouched. Now, she was more than ready to relinquish it to the girl she loved.

"You have not given your precious treasure to anyone, my little angel?" It was the first time she was addressed in such an intimate way by the moonlight of her world.

Heart bursting with unspeakable joy, she shook her head.

"How strange." The princess chuckled. "Seeing how you often shared a bed with your best friend, it is amazing that nothing ever happened between the two of you."

A lump of something rose in her throat and crushed against her cartilages. She turned her head sideways in guilt. "I... wouldn't say... nothing," she mumbled, her voice almost inaudible.

"What is it, then?" An unreadable look crossed her sweetheart's face. It sent her into a near panic. She admitted that she thought it kinda fun and cute to see Chikane-chan jealous – she did enjoy the last two times that the girl was – but this was a different story. This... was dead serious. Unless she handled it well, this magical moment was going to be ruined for sure.

"Well... I lost my first kiss to her," she confessed. Images flashed into life in her head.

"And you told me your Mako-chan was _just_ a friend." Chikane-chan had said the exact same thing earlier, but she did it in a playful tone. It wasn't present now.

"It was an accident!" Himeko clarified hastily. "Do you remember me telling you about how she sometimes crashed in on the wrong bed?"

A brief nod answered her.

"Well... It happened one night... when she was mumbling things in her sleep." She cleared her throat. "All of a sudden... she kissed me... on the lips. I was so shocked I... pushed her off of my bed."

"Is that all?" spoke the princess, tension ebbing from her gorgeous face.

"Please believe me, Chikane-chan," she pleaded. "After that accident, I was so depressed I didn't talk for a week. I'd been saving my first kiss for the person I was waiting for, you see."

 _"Was?"_ reiterated her first love, her expression brightening at the word.

"Yes... Was..." She nodded quietly, feeling thankful for the bottle of red Bordeaux that her friend Igarashi Aiko had brought to her birthday party. Without it, this would never have happened. Without it, she would not be on the same bed with the love of her life, whispering words she would never have the courage to utter in other circumstances. "I've been waiting for you all along, Chikane-chan. My first kiss was meant for you, but..." Her voice trailed off. "I'm sorry."

"It is indeed regrettable," the girl said after a moment of awkward silence. "I do want your first kiss. I really do." The corners of her mouth quirked upward in what seemed to be amusement. Her face drew closer to Himeko's, but a fraction of an inch still stood between their lips. It was clear the other girl wanted to tease her.

"How can I compensate to you, Chikane-chan?" Himeko's forefinger traced the moist lips of her sweetheart. The blue-haired girl bit on it gently.

"Your first time, my fair maiden," she said after a deep breath, "let it be with me, ne?"

"I'm yours the moment I met you on the street." She wrapped her arms around Chikane-chan's neck and pulled the girl's mouth to hers in a passionate kiss, realizing in cresting joy that the most magical moments of her life had just started. "Forever and ever."

* * *

Saotome Makoto took out the key to her best friend's apartment from her purse and used it to unlock the door. What greeted her was the sound of the dryer humming pleasantly in the kitchen and the sunlight glaring in from the far side of the modest rectangular chamber, where the glass double doors were opening to the balcony and allowing fresh air to circulate into the room. On the single-sized bed nearby sat the Photography Major, whose bare back was leaning against the headboard and whose front was loosely draped over by a blanket that exposed her shoulders to cool air. Makoto had come here numerous times before. In every single one of these she had seen her former crush in a white button shirt and her simple underwear. The fact that she was entirely without clothes right now indicated that something had happened last night, and that something had undoubtedly left the golden-haired girl in a terrific mood. Makoto suppressed a smile. People always said love would make a woman look more beautiful. In her best friend's case, it was certainly true.

"Where is she?" she asked and sat down on the hard mattress, which wasn't exactly designed to accommodate amorous encounters, trying not to notice the visible stains on the white bed sheet. Her tone made it clear to her former roommate that she knew who had shared this very bed last night. She was aware that the future photographer didn't want to part with her princely companion after the birthday party came into and end and the crowd dispersed, yet she hadn't expected that they would consummate their relationship on the same day they bumped into each other on the street.

Himeko quietly handed Makoto a piece of paper on which she could see words flowing in an elegant script. _"I have an urgent business to take care of, so I have to go. I hope I will be able to see you soon, my little angel. Himemiya Chikane. P.S.: You are very adorable when asleep."_ Every letter was colored in affection, every word written in the ink of love. Souma often wrote her notes, but none of his could rival this little slip of paper in terms of emotions. Well, much as she loved him, she had to admit that he was rather dry sometimes.

Makoto returned the slip to her former roommate. The golden-haired girl took it into both hands and held it the way she would a fragile egg, smiling and gazing at it adoringly all the while. It would take a blind person to _not_ realize she was hopelessly in love. Makoto chuckled and shook her head slightly. _The girl has it bad._ She herself was not a passionate person in nature, so her relationship with her fiancé could be best described as a calm sea compared to the burning flame that was the bond Himeko shared with her lovely prince.

"How was your first time, _little angel?"_ She brushed the Photography Major's golden tresses.

"It was... wonderful," the other girl confessed timidly. "She was very... gentle with me." Dark spots of color blossomed on her cheeks. A dreamy expression graced her gorgeous face. She said no more. The index finger of her right hand rose to brush upon her own lips, her amethyst gaze became distant, and the pounding of her heart grew loud enough to reach Makoto's ears. She looked like she was recalling the details of her abandon with the blue-haired girl last night as her mouth closed lovingly around her fingertip, kissing and sucking at it softly in the fondest daydream. Makoto found her own cheeks warming at the sight. Himemiya Chikane had had to be very good at what she did, seeing how she had left Makoto's best friend in such a state of lingering rapture. _And are these hickeys I see on her neck?_ Her mind spun. _I'll need to remind her to wear a scarf later._

"Who pounced on whom first?" Makoto demanded playfully.

The color deepened. "I kissed her first," Himeko professed. Makoto laughed aloud. "What?" The other girl peered at her in a mix of diffidence and curiosity. She continued laughing, her whole body shaking in mirth.

 _"Are you sure about this, Makoto?" her fiancé asked dubiously as soon as he was commanded to deflate the Mercedes's tires. "Leaving a stranger with your best friend for the night seems... dangerous." He flashed a disturbed look at Himeko, who was forcing herself to engage in a conversation with the half-drunk Trio. Makoto could feel the crushing weight of the Photography Major's sadness on her fragile shoulders in the absence of the girl she loved. She fully realized that this predicament only happened because Himeko didn't want to inconvenience anybody by her selfish request and the blue-haired girl didn't want to scare her by going too fast. The both of them were so transparent Makoto could see them through._

 _"Dangerous?" she repeated, amused. "In what way?"_

 _"Well..." her fiancé scratched his head, "isn't it obvious? Aren't you afraid the girl's going to do some... weird thing to Himeko?"_

 _"Nope," she declared flatly. Her intuition had never failed her. It wouldn't now. "In case you haven't noticed, Sou-chan," she only used his nickname when she was sure no one else was going to hear it, "our birthday girl loves her and needs her so badly tears are going to be spilled the moment Himemiya drives off. If there's anyone who's in_ danger _in this whole ordeal, it would be_ her _." She laughed at her own wits._

 _"I wish I can be as sure as you," he muttered._

 _"You're just bitter because the girl succeeded in conquering your first love and you failed," she pounced. "Your ego just can't take it, can you?"_

 _"You just know me too well," he humored her._

 _"Just get down there and sabotage that Mercedes. Just don't leave any fingerprints. I don't want them to arrest you on grounds of vandalism before our wedding day."_

 _"Aye, aye, captain." Resignation was all that was in his words._

"What are you laughing at?" Himeko tugged at the sleeve of Makoto's jacket.

She told Himeko about the conversation she had with the boy she loved.

"So it was the two of you." The golden-haired girl grimaced. "Do you know how much it's going to cost her to replace all four tires?" Maintenance of a luxury car like the Mercedes wasn't cheap, and it didn't exactly help that the auto shops were ever fond of charging their wealthy customers for the most ridiculous things. However, if the blue-haired girl could drive a _Convertible_ MNK 1010, the costliest vehicle money could buy on the market, her family should be loaded enough to fix it.

"No, it wasn't us." Makoto gave a brief shake of her head.

"But I thought you told Souma-kun to..." a faint smile crossed Himeko's lips, "vandalize the car."

"I did," Makoto agreed. "He didn't. The four tires were already flat when he went down there." Her fiancé had been quite surprised and relieved at the same time. "Somebody beat him to it."

"Maybe it's the kids in the neighborhood after all." The other girl grimaced. Having lived here for the last twelve months, she had seen many instances where the cars of the tenants were viciously scratched on the doors, the wind shields, or the roofs. She often stated her relief that since she rode to and from school on the bus – Makoto occasionally gave her a lift with Souma's car – she didn't have to deal with this kind of headaches.

"I don't think so," Makoto disagreed, her mouth twitching. "Say, Himeko, can you recall that your girlfriend," she shot her best friend a wry look, which made the latter turned scarlet from head to toes, "said she needed to get her phone from her car right after the dance?" She paused and waited for a nod from her former roommate. "Souma left as soon as she came back to the apartment. And you already knew what he found. I can't speak for anybody else," she winked meaningfully, "but personally, I don't think it was a coincidence."

"So..." Himeko hesitated, "you think..."

"Yes," Makoto confirmed. "I think she did it to provide herself with an excuse to sleepover."

"So that's why she looked so calm when walking to the car with me," the Photography Major murmured softly almost to herself. "She knew what we were going to find at the parking space. She knew I was going to ask her to stay." She giggled quietly behind a raised hand. The resultant chimes were full of happiness. "She could just have told me and saved me from going through that nerve-racking rollercoaster. She made me think she couldn't wait to leave."

Makoto shrugged. "Some people like to take a roundabout way." She herself preferred directness.

"But that's what makes her so adorable!" the golden-haired little angel gushed, giggling harder now. "Instead of asking for things directly from me, sometimes she'll just find ways to have me offer it. She wanted to sleep on the same bed as me, she knew I'd love to snuggle with her," she gave Makoto a rueful look, "but she still asked to borrow a blanket and a pillow to sleep on the couch." Her giggle became melodious laughter. "If she wants to kiss me, she'll probably claim that I don't want to kiss her because she's bad at it."

"Look at you." Makoto pinched the girl's cheek. "You spent a day with her and you acted like you knew her all your life." She paused and arched an eyebrow at the thoughtful look stealing across her best friend's face. "What? Did I say something weird?"

"No," Himeko murmured quietly. "What you said is actually right. Right from the moment I met her, I couldn't help feeling that I've known her and been in love with her from only the Gods know when. Somehow, I just assumed that she knew I loved her."

"Bizarre," Makoto commented. She retracted the remark completely, however, as she recalled how Himeko had always insisted that she was waiting for someone she never knew. Perhaps it wasn't that strange after all. "In any case," she decided to move to a more important topic, "How long do you intend to stay in bed? Are you waiting for your precious lover to come back and continue where you two left off last night?"

"No!" the Photography Major denied vigorously, but the full blush on her countenance proved Makoto's arrow had struck bull's eyes. "I... I was about to get up when you arrived." The way she refused to meet Makoto's eyes told a different story. The golden-haired girl wasn't being honest.

"Then do so now," Makoto suggested. "The concert, which may I remind you that you need to attend for your assignment, is going to start in an hour." She glanced at her wristwatch. "Scratch that. Fifty-nine minutes."

"Oh no!" her former roommate exclaimed in pure horror. "I'm going to be late!" She attempted to rise from the bed, but stopped dead at a look at Makoto's exasperated face. She blushed so hard her ears glowed red even in the brilliant incandescence of the morning sun. For some reason, she pulled up the blanket and had it draped over her entire body. "Would you mind turning the other way, Mako-chan?" Embarrassment was all that was in her tiny oh so tiny voice.

"Why?" Makoto demanded, puzzled. "I've seen you without clothes before." She could very well remember the times she witnessed the naked glory that was her best friend, also a former secret crush. She could remember the admiration, the desires roaring from the pit of her stomach, and the shame of seeing her friend in such away souring her soul. They were all memories now, most fond, some regretful, and a few bitter. "Why acting all self-conscious now?"

"Well..." Himeko hesitated, coloring more darkly now. It would seem that even her hair was going to turn red. "Not that I'm self-conscious..." She made a few strangled sounds in her throat, sounding awfully reluctant to continue. Her right hand, no more visible than a gentle swell beneath the thin blanket, started to move as though it had a will of its own. During its slow descent, it lingered briefly at her left breast, it paused no longer at her flat tummy, it rubbed tentatively at where Makoto was sure to be her navel, and it came to an abrupt halt an inch before it arrived between her fully concealed legs. As if startled by her hand's traitorous expedition, she jerked it back up and curled it firmly around her seashell pendant, her face bearing the color of metal being heated to its melting point.

 _So that's why,_ Makoto mused.

"In any case," her best friend continued, seemingly having forgotten that Makoto was studying her the whole time, "I'd be embarrassed to death if you... look. So please turn away?" A note of exasperation entered her voice.

"Only if you answer one question truthfully."

"What question?" She looked anxious now. She knew that whatever Makoto was going to ask, it wasn't going to be good. She scoffed mentally. It was true that she was mischievous in her own ways, but she was nothing compared to Kouzuki Takako. If the flame-haired girl had been here, Himeko would have been barraged with questions she would rather bite off her tongue than answer.

"How many hours of sleep did you get last night?"

 _"Mako-chan!"_

Makoto laughed and rose from the bed. "Just get dressed already, _little angel."_ Judging by the Photography Major's glorious but slightly tired and sleepy face, she guessed no more than a couple of hours. The party ended around eleven in the evening, and it was already nine in the morning now. _Who could have thought this anti-exercise girl could go at it for so long?_ The thought made her laugh harder. "I'll wait for you in the car. Oh, remember to wear a scarf."

* * *

The Oogami Hall of Izumo Open University owed its construction to Oogami Kazuki, the current leader of the ancient Oogami Clan. The High Priest of the wealthiest Shrine in the Prefecture, maybe in the entire nation itself, had donated a very generous sum of money when the University needed it most. Thanks to the middle-aged man, whose heart-calming smile and soul-warming nature were as famous as his intellect and knowledge in the religious field, the Hall now rose majestically in the very center of the campus. If seen from the air, the great dome of the costly structure glittered like a molten-white sun while its two colonnades strikingly resembled two concentric rings of aurora radiance. That was why the Hall, pride of the administrators, was dubbed with the most fitting name: "Amaterasu's Court." Interestingly enough, the northern front of the Court, as the students and faculty lovingly called it, was embraced by a shallow pond shaped like a crescent that was rumored to be the tribute to the other Goddess of the Heaven, Tsukiyomi. It was said that Oogami-sensei had supplied the design himself.

"It's not true," Kurusugawa Himeko's best friend told her as they walked side by side toward the entrance. "Kazuki-san is an academic, not an architect. Souma's elder brother is, though. Lament all he will that he's more of a destroyer than a builder," the auburn-haired girl rolled her eyes in disbelief, "he's one marvelous designer." Oogami Tsubasa, a cold-faced man with a perpetual cigarette on his lips, was the blood brother to Oogami Souma. They were eventually adopted into the Clan after an unfortunate event tossed the older into a juvenile correctional institution.

"Did he do it all on his own?" Himeko asked.

"Yup." Her best friend nodded. "Every single slab of stone, every chandelier, and every seat is placed at his specific instructions. He's a loner, you see. He hates to let anyone else touch his work."

She was awed. She had met Tsubasa only once at Souma and Mako-chan's engagement party. Every time his gaze settled on her, it made her want to jump into a fire to seek some heat. It wasn't that she disliked him. She was simply... frightened by the man's icy manners and even icier face. She was only glad that Oogami-sensei was going to be the best man at the wedding. The man, despite his religious background, had very willingly accepted Souma's request and agreed to the express wishes of Makoto's immediate family members, all devout Christians who insisted that she got married in a church. The High Priest didn't even demand that a second wedding take place in the traditional fashion of the Japanese. Makoto was indeed fortunate to have him for a brother-in-law.

A few minutes of walking and occasional stair-climbing brought them into the Reception Chamber of the Oogami Hall, where red tapestry hung from the ceiling and red carpet graced the floor. The vast space confined within the perfect hemisphere was currently swamped with students who were trying to squeeze past the opened double doors to the left hand side of the great slab of black marble at the far end of the Chamber, into the impossibly smooth surface of which the names of the contributors to the construction of Amaterasu's Court were etched. The entrance to the left would lead her into the West Wing, commonly known as Shizuka Concert Hall, and the one on the right would bring her to the Kotoha Wing, or Kotoha University Theater. Each of them could hold five hundred people at the same time.

"Do I look presentable, Mako-chan?" She stopped a few feet away from the crowded entrance of Shizuka Concert Hall. There, she gave herself a thorough survey.

Himeko was in casual clothes today. A red vee-neck tee-shirt worn over by a white jacket adorned her upper body while a pair of slightly bleached out denim jeans decently covered the rest. Her shoulder-length hair was stuffed neatly beneath a snowy ivy hat, leaving two narrow streams of golden hair falling down either side of her face. Her seashell pendant was slipped inside the comfy shirt. Loosely winding around her neck now was a self-knitted red scarf that was absolutely necessary to hide the love-bites her sweetheart had intentionally deposited on her throat. On her left shoulder hung the strap of the carrying case containing the top-of-the-line camera her friends had given her for the birthday present. To the breast of her jacket pinned an identification card that proved her status as the campus newspaper's photographer and authorized her entrance to any school-sponsored event. Thanks to it, she could attend concerts and theatrical performances she liked without paying the fees upfront like everybody else, which she really and really couldn't afford.

Her best friend eyed her up and down. "You look fine," she declared in satisfaction. Then, with a face fit for a mischief maker, she added, _"Little angel."_

She blushed. "Would you stop that?" It was the nickname Chikane-chan had given her last night, a phrase the princess had whispered reverently and adoringly while they made love, and what she had come to cherish as much as her given name. From the blue-haired girl, it was a caress that warmed her face. From the auburn-haired one, it became a playful jab at her heart.

"Oh," her former roommate's emerald eyes twinkled wickedly, "she's the only one who's allowed to call you so, isn't she?" She shook her head in what Himeko was sure feigned disdain. "I see now. Four years of friendship can't measure up to a night with a stranger, is that it?"

"You know it's not what I meant." She grimaced. "Of all people to model yourself after, why do you have to pick Takako?"

"Because it's fun," the track-and-field athlete answered simply. Himeko sighed. "Anyway, in you go or you'll be late. I'd hate to see your boss mad with you because you choose to dawdle here with me instead of..." She stopped abruptly with her chin raised and her eyes fixed on something to Himeko's left. "Himeko," she called, her head whipping back to Himeko, her emerald eyes shining with a very strange light, the corners of her mouth twitching in what seemed amusement and pleasant shock. "Did you attend the newspaper staff meetings?"

"I'm a staff member. I had to," she stated, puzzled at a question that was absolutely unrelated to what they were talking about. Her best friend didn't do that too often, she recalled.

"All of them?"

"Except one," she clarified, eyeing the athlete suspiciously. _What no good is she up to again?_

"The latest meeting on Wednesday. I caught a fever that morning and couldn't even go to class until Friday, remember?" On one hand, it was a horrible episode that left her in a miserable situation where she had to frantically borrow notes from her classmates and copying them down and trying to study at the same time because the exams were approaching. On the other hand, she was grateful toward the heavy storm that had kept her bedridden for two straight days. Without it, she wouldn't have to see a physician yesterday in Downtown. Without it, she wouldn't have met the blue-haired princess. Without it... last night would have never happened. Her hand rose to her scarf, itching to slip inside and caress the love marks her beloved Chikane-chan had consecrated on her throat. She jerked it back to her side. Maybe later, where her best friend couldn't see her.

"Right." The corners of Mako-chan's mouth quirked higher up now into an almost smile she appeared to be refraining herself from making. She was evidently filled with barely suppressed mirth.

"What made you ask?" she inquired and blinked the second Mako-chan's emerald eyes swiveled to her left again. It piqued her curiosity and compelled her to turn her head. "What's over there?"

She never found out, for her former roommate had cupped her chin almost forcefully and stopped her in her tracks. "You don't have time for that. Just go in, won't you?"

She hurriedly pulled Himeko toward the entrance of Shizuka Concert Hall, where a pair of pretty girls was inspecting the tickets but having a hard time doing so because the students were too busy gawking at them to let them do their job. Regardless, the auburn-haired athlete managed to squeeze Himeko through the impossibly small gaps of the standing crowd by employing a significant amount of elbowing and shoving, eliciting yells from those who were outraged but couldn't find out who assaulted them due to the extreme density of the surrounding. After a quick look at her identification card, the two girls nodded and practically pushed her past the double doors, forcing her to leave her best friend back in the crowd. The girl never purchased a ticket, nor did her have any attention of attending a concert by Korona, a vocalist she didn't like. She was only here because she promised to drive Himeko to school and wait until the concert finished to take her back to the apartment.

"Have fun!" her former roommate hollered shortly before she vanished into the crowd.

Still puzzled no end by Mako-chan's mysterious behaviors, Himeko decided that as soon as she left later, she was going to take a good look at what her best friend was so intent on not letting her see. With that in mind, she slowly made her way toward the empty walkway behind the outermost row of seat and tried to find the best vantage point to capture whatever that was going to happen atop the empty center podium, a high platform surrounded by row after row of nicely cushioned seats. She almost always stood in the same aisle inside this Shizuka Concert Hall because she didn't want to steal a seat from someone who actually paid for it. Only in the rare instances where it was relatively empty did she find herself a place to sit down and enjoy the music.

In a professional manner, she took out from her carrying case the tripod as well as the expensive camera and began setting up the equipments for the event. Down below, people were settling in and chatting in indistinct but excited voices. She was amazed. As far as she could see, this West Wing was getting packed. She could remember that the other members of the newspaper staff had speculated that the audience was going to be sparse, for the vocalist named Korona's fame had yet to spread to the greater portion of the public although more and more people were growing fond of her songs.

Eventually, the din caused by the oddly spirited audience calmed as the spotlights focused on a man in formal suit standing atop the stage. The double doors at the entrance swung shut. The performance was about to begin. Himeko felt a thrill. Unlike her best friend, she liked Korona for her voice, her affable personality, and last but not least, her relationship with Oota Reiko, the mangaka who happened to be at the very top of Himeko's worship list. In defiance of public uproar and criticism, the two women had revealed to the public that they were romantically involved and intending to stay together for the rest of their natural lives. As if spitting in the faces of those who couldn't accept that love was beyond the boundaries of gender, they celebrated their engagement last month at the Mahoroba Amphitheater, at the very heart of the city itself.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the master of ceremonies intoned, his warm voice booming through the tiny microphone pinned to his tie and effectively ending Himeko's train of thoughts, "welcome to Shizuka Concert Hall. It is indeed a pleasure to see so many of you here on this beautiful Saturday morning. Honestly, I myself feared that we, the management, would have to cancel the performance and refund the tickets to you because of the abrupt change in schedule."

She blinked in shock. _Change of schedule? Why wasn't I informed?_ Her mind froze as the conversation she had with Mako-chan at the entrance to the West Wing came alive in her head. _It's because I skipped out on that meeting!_

"As you all know from the flyers that the Music and Theatrical Arts Department sent out on Wednesday," the man continued, "Korona-san had to cancel her performance here because she had to fly to attend an urgent meeting at Hollywood with her fiancée, Reiko-sensei. It was confirmed by reliable sources that the entertainment capital of the world sought the sensei's approval to bring one of her numerous works to life." Murmurs of astonishment rose from the audience and quickly died down so quietness. "We had frantically tried to make adjustments. Thankfully, the agency of another famous musician had come to our aid and agreed to fill the vacancy. As mentioned before, we were afraid that the change would cause an undesirable impact in revenues. But lo' and behold!" He swept his hands outwardly in a grand gesture. "All the tickets were sold out and this very hall packed! Ladies and gentlemen, let's give it up for the musician whose fame and talents have made this possible! Let's give it up for the composer and the pianist who has graciously granted us her presence today!"

The master of ceremonies brought his hands together in crisply loud claps that were amplified by his microphone. Amazingly enough, the audience immediately joined him in thunderous rounds of applause that reverberated endlessly in the grand Shizuka Concert Hall. Then, all but one of the spotlights began moving away from the man standing at the edge of the platform and focused one more on a person who had just stepped out from the shadows and planted herself at the center of the stage, near where a grand piano with glass cabinet and gilded steel frame was rising from a trap door atop the stage. At the sight, Himeko's heart stopped and her hands flew up to clutch at her mouth. The musician introduced by the master of ceremonies was a girl in a snowy one piece dress that left her shoulders bare, snugly embraced her slender body at the waist and thighs, but flared up at the hem like the flukes of a mermaid. Her slender neck was adorned by a velvet choker of the same color that bore a large sapphire stone sparkling in the light. Her hair was a luxuriant stream of azure, her face more beautiful than that of any in the audience, and her ocean-colored eyes as bright as the gem on her throat. Atop her falling and rising chest hung a seashell pendant identical to Himeko's own.

She was the girl who had shared a passionate abandon with Himeko last night.

Through the lens of her camera, Himeko realized that her sweetheart's line of sight was directed toward where she stood. _She knows I'm here,_ she thought in a wave of love-induced dizziness. _She knows I'm watching her._ As to how that was possible in the darkness beyond the stage, she couldn't imagine. All that she knew was that her first love was acutely aware of her tiniest movements despite the great distance standing between their frames.

"As you already know, Himemiya Chikane-san, the master of ceremonies gestured at his regal companion, who bowed to the quieting audience, "is the genius artist who has won numerous awards and prizes since her early days in elementary school. Her records had been sold by the millions worldwide. Times Magazine praised her as the most impressive musician of the century. Even the famous producers of Hollywood itself had asked her to be the composer for their movies' soundtracks! Unless I am entirely mistaken, she herself is going to be a part of the same production staff as Reiko-sensei in that upcoming movie!" The princess gave a brief nod of confirmation.

 _I never knew!_ a voice screamed at the back of Himeko's head. She couldn't have. The knowledge of her music was limited to the pop culture many claimed to be shallow and insufficient in the ways of elegance. She was too busy studying and making ends meet her whole life that she devoted so little time to news of the land beyond the boundaries of Mahoroba sometimes she felt as though this very city was the whole world. Now she cursed her unworldly self for it. Had she paid more attention, she would have been able to meet the love of her life sooner. Had she known, she would not have spent so much time waiting for the girl with whom she was head over heels in love. _Why didn't she tell me?_

"Himemiya-san" the man turned to Himeko's first love, "may I ask you a question?"

"Of course," the beautiful girl assented.

"I was told by the higher ups that your agency had actually sought us out and offered to fill the vacancy left by Korona-san's cancellation," he said. "Would you mind telling me why a world-class musician like you would agree to a performance in such a distant place like ours?"

"The chairman of your Music and Theatrical Arts Department is an old classmate of my Father, Himemiya Aoki, as well as a dear friend," Chikane-chan answered in her musical voice. "He knew that my parents and I was supposed to be here this weekend for a family-related business," a shadow stole across her lovely face, reminding Himeko of the omiai the girl had mentioned the day they met, "so he called me directly and asked if I could help him out. I said yes."

"I see," the master of ceremonies murmured in satisfaction. "Well, there are more I'd like to ask since I am a loyal fan of your works, Himemiya-san." She smiled politely in response. "However, I think our beloved audience cannot wait any longer, so I shouldn't take any more of your precious time. Ladies and gentlemen," he bowed deeply, "I give you the Northern Star of the music world. I give you Himemiya Chikane!" The lone spotlight illuminating his figure from the beginning of his appearance dimmed away. It could have been Himeko's imagination, but she thought she saw Chikane-chan conversed briefly with the man before he was completely consumed by the darkness.

In the renewed vigorous applauses from the students, the blue-haired princess walked toward her grand piano. There, she sat down at the bench, which was crafted from the same transparent material as the cabinet of the large string instrument, and waited until absolute silence returned to Shizuka Concert Hall. Then she let her slender fingers danced atop the eighty-eight keys of the grand piano and struck from them what had to be the most beautiful sounds Himeko ever heard.

Since Mako-chan liked classical music and enjoyed listening to them back in the Ototachibana Dorm, Himeko was introduced to them on several occasions against her will. She didn't like them too much, she didn't understand them, and sometimes she was so bored by them that she fell asleep on her bed. She never thought she would ever come to enjoy this kind of music. She was convinced she wouldn't care for it unless she enlisted its aid in inviting her much needed sleep.

Her princess just proved her wrong. The pieces Chikane-chan performed onstage were, for the lack of a better word, alive. They were impressive the way each and every note rang with the ones preceded and succeeded it in a seamless melody. Sometimes, the rhythm was as impressive as the Niagara Falls with its lightning quick, pleasantly loud, and grand movements. Sometimes, it simulated the songs of the birds chirping without a care in a quiet and peaceful rainforest. Sometimes, its sensuality and sweetness reminded Himeko of all the words she and the love of her life had whispered into each other's ear last night in bed, all the loving strokes and caresses and kisses they had offered one another while entangled in the flimsy blanket, and all the cries of utmost delights they had released the moment the waves of pleasure crashed.

Yet, she knew full well it wasn't her torrential love toward the blue-haired girl that left Himeko enthralled by her performance. The audience, too, had fallen under the gripping spell of the snow-clad enchantress. Their faces alike were encompassed by a glow of amazement, their eyes glued upon the beautiful princess who continued to weave notes into melodious rhythms that took their breaths away.

Eventually, the performance came to an end. Silence and deathly stillness reigned in the Shizuka Concert Hall as Himeko's first love rose in utmost grace from the bench and proceeded to the rim of the stage, where she bowed to the audience with a little smile on her lips. As if awoken from a fond dream, they sprang to their feet and unleashed a deafening storm of applause that seemed to shake Amaterasu's Court to the base of its foundation. Himeko herself felt moisture sting in her eyes and invade her nostrils. Were they to demand that she paid all the money she had stored in her ban account for this concert, she would be more than willing to give them what they wanted.

"As I already mentioned," Chikane-chan said, her voice possessing such a commanding tone that the entire Shizuka Concert Hall quieted down at the very first word she spoke, "I came to Mahoroba because of a family-related affair. Had my parents not pressured me, I would never have stepped down from an airplane in Mahoroba International Airport yesterday. Yet, I am glad I gave in to my parents' will. Your city is beautiful, a perfect picture of nature and civilization blended together and the very proof of your sense of aesthetics." Her honest compliments brought brilliant smiles and firm nods. "And yet, there is one wonder your city has that no other place does. It is here that I found the missing piece of my existence. It is here I fell into the embrace of a miracle I have been seeking my whole life. Here, I search no more."

Confusion and surprise warred on the young faces of the audience. It would appear that none knew what she could be referring to, none having the vaguest idea of what could be classified as wonder or miracle in this small city. Yet, Himeko felt warmth rising in her heart. She thought perhaps she knew what her beloved was referring to.

"Though a humble one, I am also a composer who often falls prey to the whims of the Muses," continued the girl she loved. "Last night, they came to me and offered me inspiration as well as the words and the arrangement of a song I think decent enough to be heard." A few boys and girls _ooh'ed_ in amazement. There weren't too many who could do that in a night. "Normally, my agency, money loving as they are," the comments drew a gust of laughter from the inhabitants of the Shizuka Concert Hall, "would insist that I achieve the proper copyrights for my work, put it onto a CD with a few of my old songs, and publish it just so they can rob a few more yen from your pockets. But since they are not here to bother me," she smiled a smile that could steal a man's soul, "I believe I can play it for you without incurring their wrath. Would you like to?"

 _"YES!"_ the audience roared like thunder. _"YES!"_

"Then it would be my pleasure, ladies and gentlemen." The princess gave an incline of her head.

Her magical fingers danced once more atop the keyboard. This time, her beautiful lips joined as they formed words that rose and fell according to the glorious rhythm she was striking from the keys of her grand piano. This time, the beautiful enchantress sang in a voice that no device man made could hope to imitate.

 _Under this endless azure roof and golden incandescence_

 _Dwell those whose hearts do not speak._

 _Arid vessels of darkness thriving under the midday sun,_

 _Deserts where the absence of life repeats in monotonous perpetuity._

 _I, too, am an empty shell drifting across vast expanse of standing waters,_

 _Not knowing light, not knowing true joy, ready to embrace death,_

 _Until the day I finally hear the songs of the world,_

 _For it is the day a wingless angel forever lights up my life._

Kurusugawa Himeko recognized the tune. It was what she had heard last night right after she stepped out from her bath and found the moonlight of her world humming it at the balcony. Then a certain phrase in the line she just heard struck her. Her face warmed, her heart fluttered, and her soul threatened to burst with unspeakable happiness. She knew what was coming. She knew why this song was made. She knew what it was about. Tears pooled in her eyes and streaked down her cheeks.

 _I know I am alive the instant you hurry toward me,_

 _When I know only you are real in the heart of the crowded junction._

 _I know I am alive the heartbeat you fall into my embrace,_

 _When I feel it is the warmth of your body I crave since birth._

 _I know I am alive the second you welcome me at your apartment,_

 _When I believe in tumultuous emotions... that I am home._

 _She's... singing about our first meeting,_ she thought. More tears came forth. Her hands rose to clutch at her heart. It was beating so strongly and pounding so fast she feared it would force its way out of her chest. It was aching so much she only regretted that she couldn't take it out. Love filled her to the brim, burned beneath her skin, and urged her to move toward the stage, where her beautiful princess was.

"Kurusugawa Himeko-san?" spoke a man's familiar voice next to her and made her jump. It was the master of ceremonies, who continued in a voice low enough for her ears alone, "Would you follow me, please?" Not waiting for her assent, he gently took her hand into his gloved ones and led her down the center aisle, toward the stage, toward the moonlight of her world. Up there, she was still singing in her amazing voice.

 _I know I am alive the instant you bless my existence with your touch,_

 _When I decide I desire none other my entire life._

 _I know I am alive the heartbeat you glide with me across the floor,_

 _When I thank the Gods on high for every beat of this divine rhythm._

 _I know I am alive the second you offer me everything in bed,_

 _When I wish our passionate encounter will last for time without end._

"Wait here," the man instructed the moment they arrived at the foot of the stage itself and hurried away. Eyes fixed upon the beautiful girl who shared her bed the night before, Himeko realized only very dimly that the music had stopped. Dazed, she watched as the blue-haired princess once again rose from her seat and walked very slowly toward the short flight of stairs leading down the stage, where Himeko stood. The spotlight was moving with her, illuminating her slender frame, consecrating her curvaceous outlines, and augmenting her natural charms. Himeko knew she was crying silently as the moonlight of her world descended down the steps. Meanwhile, she continued to sing.

 _I know I am alive when we first meet, in a place only you exist in my vision,_

 _For I realize in heart-throbbing sensations... I am in love with you._

The spotlights engulfed Himeko. She found herself staring up at the love of her life, standing an inch away from her and gazing at her with a pair of sapphire eyes filled with love and affection. She thought she was looking at a Goddess. _She's so beautiful._

"I do realize that this is a bit late, considering what has happened between us last night," whispered the blue-haired girl, her loving voice booming within the confinement of the Shizuka Concert Hall through a microphone attached to the elegantly cut neckline of her snowy dress, "but I hope you will forgive me and accept my belated confession. While spending time with you, I lost sight of everything else. While being by your side, I forgot the rest of the world."

She took Himeko's right hand into both of hers and brought it to her lips. The air was so still and the atmosphere so quiet she could hear the quiet breathing of her fellow students. She could feel their eyes on her, but she didn't care. All that mattered to her at this very moment was the girl she loved.

"I have never been romantically involved with anyone before," Chikane-chan professed. "I think it is safe to say I am quite inexperienced in this matter." A rueful smile crossed her lips. "I also am quite clumsy when trying to conveying my thoughts, so I was afraid they would not reach you in the way they were intended to. That was why I put all my feelings for you into this very song and hoped it would come across. I named it after you, for you are the wonder, the miracle, and the missing piece of my existence that I have sought my entire life." She placed Himeko's palm atop her left breast, beneath which a heart was pounding in an erratic rhythm. "I love you, Himeko. Would you become my girlfriend?"

"Yes," she answered and threw her arms around her first love, tears breaking out of her eyes like water from a burst dam. "I love you too, Chikane-chan."

In the thunderous cheers and applauses that rose from five hundred mouths in the Shizuka Concert Hall, they kissed. In the tight embrace of the moonlight of her world, Himeko knew that she, too, had found the missing half of herself, deprived from her since birth. Now, she was fulfilled. Now, she was complete. Now, she was whole.

* * *

"I miss you," Himemiya Chikane murmured between the deep and passionate kisses she was showering her girlfriend's beautiful lips. The two of them were in the waiting room of the Oogami Hall, a large chamber that was furnished with several couches, equipped with a widescreen plasma TV, and meant for the guests of the department to use when waiting for their performance on the stage. The golden-haired girl was standing on her toes with her back against the door, her arms tight around Chikane's neck, and her mouth issuing soft sighs of happiness and contentment when it was not busy engaging with Chikane's in toe-curling kisses. "I miss you very much." Her statements, saturated with love and desire for more intense body contacts, were cut into pieces. Her hands traveled up and down her little puppy's sides, caressing her through her jacket and her shirt and eliciting small delightful gasps from her, which quickly vanished into Chikane's mouth, every time her fingers brushed upon the undersides of her safely concealed chest.

They had retreated to this place shortly after her confession because she decided she was not very fond of the idea of being intimate with her lover in front of the public. It was not that she was ashamed – if she were, she would not have professed her deepest feelings in a packed Shizuka Concert Hall – she was simply uncomfortable having so many eyes on her while she was showing physical intimacy to the girl she loved.

"I miss you a lot too, Chikane-chan," replied the wingless angel in a voice tattered by the fervent and amorous meetings of their lips. A few more kisses followed, each taking a little longer to dissipate and involved a little more tongue than the last. Chikane had been pleasantly surprised upon finding a soft and moist and warm object brushing against her lips, requesting entrance. She had found her mind spinning in mild disbelief at her lover's boldness. She was overwhelmed with pleasure when the beauty in casual but stunningly adorable clothes slipped her tongue inside her mouth and tentatively caressed its every corner, offering its own sweetness in exchange. "Why didn't you wake me?" Her affectionate tone robbed the words of their chiding sting. She took Chikane's underlip into her mouth and sucked on it lovingly, spreading powerful cascading waves of warmth across her existence and injecting a lethal dose of bliss into her heart. "Don't you know how scared I was when I opened my eyes and didn't see you next to me?"

The memories of the morning after their wonderful earthly encounter came alive in her head.

 _Himemiya Chikane awoke to the chiming sounds produced by her cell phone, sitting atop a small desk on the left-hand-side of the bed. Eyes immediately wincing shut because of the light glaring in from beyond the glass double doors to her right, she reached blindly in the direction of the chimes and tried to reach for the traitorous device that just disturbed her slumber. Thankfully, her first grasp delivered the Motorola Shinken into her hand. A quick press on a certain key silenced it immediately. Still, the damage had been done, for it had reminded her that it was she who set up the alarm clock to wake her at a specific hour just so she could be in time to prepare for her concert._

 _Returning her left arm to its original position, she suddenly realized that nestled within her tight embrace was something unimaginably soft, very warm, and so fragrant its scent overwhelmed that of any other in her nostrils. Opening her eyes again, she found herself holding the most wondrous creature the Immortals of Heaven could have created._

 _Himeko, her beloved Himeko, was lying on her stomach atop Chikane's body, the former's arms folded beneath Chikane's head to provide comfort in place of a pillow, her face buried in the crook of Chikane's neck, and her nose issuing even breaths that caressed her skin. The little angel's back was mostly covered by the thin blanket and the sparkly array of fine golden strands that were her hair. With unrivaled clarity, Chikane's front was registering the little angel's modest bosom rising and falling gently against her heaving chest, the golden-haired girl's rosebuds stroking the sensitive skin of her bosom, her girlfriend's empty stomach gurgling quietly against her flat tummy, and her oh so long and lithesome thigh engaging with Chikane's most private region in an never-ending kiss._

 _An emotional epiphany blossomed in her like fireworks. Love exploded into life in her brain and followed every nerve to the furthest corners of her body. Moisture gathered in her sapphire eyes._

So this is what Father meant, _she thought, sensing tears streaking uncontrollably down her face. In one of his numerous attempts to encourage her to find a romantic interest, he once confessed that he was like her once, unwilling to give up his bachelorhood because of his love for freedom and his unease toward love, a disease without cure._

"However," _Himemiya Aoki stressed,_ "everything changed the moment Sanae came into my life. Everyday, I am grateful to my parents for bringing me into this world. Everyday, I am thankful to all the powers that be because they let me meet your Mother and fall in love with her. One day, Chikane, you will feel the same as I when you wake one morning to the face of the person you love."

 _She did not think that she would ever agree. She was wrong._

 _"Why do I love you so much, Himeko?" she murmured amidst the rolling tears, her arms tightening a little more around her little angel. Her sweet lover stirred slightly in response, murmured some unintelligible phrases into the crook of her neck, and continued to snooze away in her deep slumber. Smiling, she rolled onto her side and gently laid the golden-haired beauty onto the mattress. In great reluctance, she untangled herself from the adorable girl who had touched her in various places, kissed her on places she was most vulnerable and easily excited, measured her depth with her ever so hesitant fingers, and flew her to the highest skies._

 _Unconcerned about her nakedness, Chikane climbed off the bed and pulled the curtains over the glass double doors just so the sun would not bother her sleeping angel. She froze in her tracks, however, the moment her eyes found what lay atop the tiled floor. Two identical button shirts. Two pairs of red panties. Her face burned at the recollection of their passionate encounters, in which she tossed eighteen years of careful upbringing and her unruffled dignity out the window and gave in to the irresistible calling of love and desires. Vision filled with images replayed endlessly by her mind, she picked up the clothing articles and brought them to the kitchen, where she deposited them into the washing machine. A few minutes later, the thing began its first vertical rotation and continued on in a continuous hum that was too low to wake her sweetheart._

 _Chikane went into the bathroom and took a shower, feeling quite regretful that she had to wash away the scent, the warmth, and the lingering touches of the girl she loved. Emerging from the steam-filled chamber in her snowy dress, she walked into the apartment, where the washing machine had stopped its rotations, and transferred the soaked articles into the dryer. Afterwards, she went straight for her bag, which was lying on the table in the living room. She opened it, and became very still at the sight of her tantou. A smile crossed her lips. The short blade was a weapon meant for personal protection. Last night, it left its sheath for the first time. What it cut down was the tires of her Mercedes. It had delivered her an excuse to stay with her sweetheart. It had brought about the most magical night of her life._

 _Smiling, she took out her Motorola Shinken and made the necessary calls. Afterwards, took out a piece of paper and wrote a few lines for the girl she loved. In the end, she went back to the bed and knelt down on the floor. Heart filled with melancholy, she folded her arms atop the mattress and laid a side of her head on a forearm. In silence she watched her little puppy sleeping soundly beneath the thin blanket that could not hide the delicious curves of her heaving chest._

 _She did not desire to leave. She wished to shed her clothes and climb back onto the bed. She wanted to snuggle with her lover, enjoy the other girl's softness with her own self, and wait for her to wake just so they could relive the wonderful experience that had taken place atop this very mattress._

 _"I am sorry, Himeko," she said, slipping the note into her slumbering lover's hand. "I must go." She hated herself for saying it and wanting to do it. Yet, she had no other choice. Rising back to her feet, she bent over and offered the sleeping beauty one last kiss on her slightly opened lips before she walked out of the apartment and headed straight toward the stairs._

Chikane bit playfully on her adorable girlfriend's nose. "You mean _beneath_ you," she whispered. Watching Himeko clam up and color furiously, she laughed aloud. The girl she loved snuggled closer and hid her burning face in the crook of Chikane's neck. "Have I become your mattress?"

"Who told you to be so soft and warm?" Himeko's lips brushed upon the skin on Chikane's throat.

"But so are you," she replied in the same caressing manner, her hands roaming the small of her lover's back. "You are the best pillow I have hugged." A delightful chortle escaped her mouth as she felt the beautiful angel in her embrace stiffen in shyness and heat up a few degrees in embarrassment. "But I am in serious trouble now," she added in amusement.

"What kind?" a very soft voice inquired.

"Snuggling with you makes me think the pillows back at my house or anywhere else are not comfortable anymore," she said, smiling atop her sweetheart's ivy hat. "They are concrete compared to you. I do not believe I can get a good night sleep again."

A moment of silence.

"Why can't you just say what you want instead of beating around the bush?" her first love said in a tone more suitable for whispering to a lover atop a bed at night.

Even though she could not see, Chikane knew that Himeko was smiling fondly into the crook of her neck. _Because I want to hear_ you _say it,_ she mused.

"You caused this dilemma, my little angel," she whispered. "I expect you to take responsibility."

"Then," a pause came, "I'll be your hugging pillow every night. Are you happy now?"

"Nothing can make me more so." Chikane cupped Himeko's chin gently and lifted it up so that they could look into each other's eyes. Himeko's amethyst ones were mirroring the intense light of love she knew to be shining in her sapphire own. She claimed her lips over and over again, her need for more refusing to be sated. The little angel melted willingly into the passionate kisses.

"You haven't answered my question, though," she pointed out afterwards, her voice uneven by the amorous meetings of their tongues and lips. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"I needed to go first to prepare this little surprise for you, you see," Chikane answered with a smile. "If I had roused you from your slumber, I would never have been able to leave. You should have realized by now that you are my weakness, my addiction, and my deepest desires." Each statement added a little more color to her lover's cheeks. "Can you imagine how difficult it was for me to resist you?" She rubbed the tip of the other girl's nose affectionately with her thumb.

"You're doing a very good job right now, aren't you?" As though finally hearing what just leapt from her tongue and what it implied without her meaning it to, Himeko stiffened to a splinter's worth and blushed so hard her golden hair threatened to turn scarlet.

"Naughty you, silly you," she teased, laughing. "Do you think I would do something like that in this waiting room," she winked at her sweetheart, "when I know another musician is arriving and will be using it before their performance begins?" Himeko looked up at her, blinked, and then lowered her amethyst gaze to the floor in shyness. "Now, if we were standing in your apartment, it would be a different story," she continued, her voice adopting a sultry and suggestive tone that warmed her own blood.

"Then..." her lover hesitated, "should we... go back?"

"Not right now." She shook her head. "We need to do a couple of things first, Himeko."

"What things?" The angel's voice was tinted with disappointment.

"For starter," Chikane said, "retrieving your equipments from the master of ceremonies. I asked him to fetch it for you earlier. He should be waiting for us in his office right now."

"Ah..." the golden-haired girl murmured in gratitude.

"And I hoped you took enough pictures for your assignment?" Himeko gave a start. "I guess not." Chikane chuckled softly. "But you should not worry. You can take my pictures anytime you want. And I think your newspaper staff has already changed the headline by now."

"You're right," her sweetheart agreed quietly, amethyst eyes gazing into her sapphire and gleaming with love. _"College girl succeeded in seducing world-class musician."_ She too, laughed. "I can imagine it on the front page of tomorrow's newspaper. Couldn't you have confessed in a less... conspicuous way?"

"You do not wish the others to know of our relationship?" Chikane inquired softly, her hand stroking Himeko's cheek. "Are you... ashamed?"

"Of course not," her little angel replied in a voice equally soft and rubbed a side of her face gently against her palm. "I love you so much it hurts to stay apart from you even in a split second." Her voice was a melody the tune of which not even the best composer in the world could arrange and the words of which not even the best poet could make. "My feelings for you are nothing I need to hide from the world."

"That was what I thought," she confided. "I want them to know I am proud of having fallen in love with you, Himeko. I want them to know that I do not care what they think, that you are all I need."

"I may jeopardize your career in the future, Chikane-chan," the little angel whispered.

"If my audience is the kind of people who cares for my personal life than my music, then I do not need them," she announced. "Besides, my career for a lifetime of happiness is a fair trade."

"Chikane-chan..." her first love called, her amethyst eyes shining with moisture. A moment of comfortable silence returned, during which they simply hugged one another tightly and listened to the perfectly harmonized beating of each other's heart. "So..." she murmured, "what else do we need to do before we... can go back to my place?" Her voice was dreamy.

"Do you wish to return to bed that much?" Chikane joked. "It is still light out, you know."

Himeko blushed, but she made no attempt to refute. "I didn't get much sleep last night." Amethyst gaze regarded Chikane in an playfully accusing manner, but the attempt at teasing was spoiled by a pair of downcast amethyst gems that conveyed very clearly her own embarrassment. "My eyes are trying to close down right now."

"Then I guess you will have to wait for a couple of hours, my little angel," she said. "We are going to a restaurant across town in a few minutes."

"Are you hungry?" her lover inquired. "If you are, we don't have to go to there. I can make something for you to eat at home." Chikane decided immediately that she loved the way the other girl had changed the words _"my place"_ to just _"home"_ in such a short amount of time. Ever since she moved out on her own, she had always regarded the simple apartment in which she lived as just an accommodation, a place to spend the nights before she embarked again on a journey to various countries abroad where her concerts were held. Before, she only thought of the beautiful mansion her family had in Tokyo as _"home."_ Now, wherever Himeko was, home was.

"That is not the main reason why we are going," she explained. "Do you not remember what I told you yesterday while driving you home?" The word tasted like honey on her tongue.

Himeko's eyes went wide in shock.

"Yes." Chikane nodded. "I am going to take you to see my parents. It is high time they knew I already found my ideal life partner, and that they did not have a reason to play matchmaking anymore."

"You know, that made me think," the golden-haired beauty said, her eyes twinkling in amusement. "How can I be sure that you really love me? For all I know, you might have wanted to use me to deceive your mom and dad."

"Do you think I would go to bed with a girl because of such a silly reason?" Chikane humored her. "Do you think I would give up my first time to a girl I do not love?"

"So it was your first time, too," the sunlit angel whispered, voice overflowing with happiness.

"And if that is not enough to convince you," Chikane continued, "I will just have to swear." She erected a hand in front of her. "I, Himemiya Chikane, swear that if I do not love Kurusugawa Himeko as much as I tell her, I would..." A gentle hand of the girl she cherished was laid across her mouth and stopped her from saying the rest.

"No need," Himeko murmured. "I believe you."

"I am glad you do." Chikane kissed each fingertip lightly. Then, when the other girl had retracted her hand and moved in a little closer, their lips met in another deep kiss that made her wish they were back in that lovely apartment where they had offered each other all they ever owned. "Now, why don't we go surprise your future parents-in-law and get it over with?" The full blush that was brought to Himeko's cheeks by the phrase made her more beautiful than ever.


	3. Parents and Child

**_CHAPTER THREE: PARENTS AND CHILD._**

* * *

Hashizume Isao, who celebrated this thirty-fifth birthday last April, was not someone people would name a narcist. He generally paid little attention to his own appearance beyond making sure that he was presentable to his customers, fine connoisseurs who visited his establishment to indulge their taste buds with the terrific food his chefs prepared tirelessly everyday. Yet, right now, he found himself staring into his reflection in the mirror hanging on the wall, checking the orientation of every strand of hair on his head, ensuring that his three-button suit and ties bore not a single crease, and resisting a powerful urge to ask the inanimate shiny surface who was the most handsome man in the Ichihana Diner.

He was the manager of a restaurant situated on the highest floor of the Himemiya Plaza, where his customers could enjoy the fantastic view of the Himemiya's private beach. He built it from scratch. Having graduated from a culinary institute in China, he designed its menu and worked as the head chef until he became wealthy enough to hire experts from the vast country to take his place. Ever since, he simply served as his beloved creation's chief executive and rarely left the confinement of his fine office unless serious matters required his attention.

They did now, he told himself.

Isao glanced at the clock above the mirror, its hour, minute, and second hands fashioned after a knife, a fork, and a spoon. It was reading ten to noon. In ten minutes, extremely important guests would be arriving at his restaurant. The duty fell onto him now to welcome them into the establishment and serve them until they left with full stomachs and happy faces. He couldn't trust his staff with this enormous task, for a misstep would slam an indelible stain on the good name of the Ichihana Diner and destroy its growing business. He had to do it himself.

Checking his image one last time, he walked out of his office and made his way to the entrance of the Ichihana Diner. There, he stood and waited, occasionally smiling warmly at his frequent patrons or exchanging pleasantries with them, while fixing his eyes on the huge elevator across the hallway and listening to his heart pounding in anxiety and excitement in his chest. Then, just as the three hands of time of his ridiculously expensive Rolex ticked into the twelfth mark, an elevator car with walls made from Plexiglass rose upward in the cylindrical tube of the same material and lodged firmly into place. From it stepped out a couple whom he knew well.

The man had a baby face that made it difficult to guess how many birthdays he had celebrated, a mustache that looked oddly out of place, and a pair of obsidian eyes that portrayed a sharp mind and an authority of someone who was used to take charge. His name was Himemiya Aoki, the Chief Operation Officer of the powerful Himemiya International, and the second most powerful person in his ancient clan. In a black suit undoubtedly a hundred times more expensive than that which Isao wore, Aoki stood out from the rest of the filthy rich roaming the hallway of this floor and dwarfed them all with his impressive presence. Isao had only met one person who possessed a more imposing aura of dignity, and it was his Mightiness Himemiya Kyou, the Chief Executive Officer of the Himemiya Empire.

Standing next to Aoki was his wife, Himemiya Sanae, in a shoulderless black dress quite elegant yet sensual in the decent manner it showed off her curves, a transparent shawl that was tied together at the front by an emerald brooch, and a pair of gloves that covered all the way to her elbows. She was ever one of the more beautiful women Isao had met, one that made other men curse her husband for having caught her eyes. As Aoki's legal adviser – she was a valedictorian at Yale's Law School – she traveled with her husband wherever his duties dictated. A fine wife she was, Isao thought in mild envy.

Yesterday, the second most powerful man of the Himemiya had phoned in directly from England and reserved a table for today. He had informed Isao that the three family members of his family as well as another guest would be having lunch at Isao's establishment. Although Himemiya Chikane, whose talents placed her at the zenith of the music world, never stepped inside the Diner, her parents frequented Ichihana. Every time they visited, he would descend from his office in haste and wouldn't return to his sanctuary until his extremely distinguished guests had departed. Every time, he felt the same thrill, the same honor, and the same fear that his business might be hurt by their dissatisfaction. He hoped it would never happen as long as he remained as its chief.

"Welcome to the Ichihana Diner," Hashizume Isao greeted the couple with his best smile and a deep bow for each. "Will you follow me?" Still in a bowing position, he gestured toward the entrance to his restaurant. After a nod of assent from Aoki, he straightened up and led the way inside. Less than a minute of a pleasant stroll brought them to a table of four in a quiet corner near the great panel of Plexiglass, three times as high as he and stretching across the grand establishment, overlooking the private beach of Himemiya International. Down on the narrow strip of pure white sand, the calm sea was brushing inland with its gentle waves beneath the cloudless azure heavens. Down there, not a shadow of a human was spotted, for the living members of the Himemiya Clan were about to gather at the Himemiya Mansion tonight for their annual family gathering. Understandably, they would not have the time to stay here and bathe in the cool water of the sea.

"Would you like to order right now or would you prefer waiting until the rest of your party arrives, sir?" he addressed Aoki respectfully once a waitress had placed a menu in front of either and retreated without saying a word.

"We will wait," the other man answered. Isao bowed again in acquiescence and hurried away. "Chikane called me earlier." Aoki's voice lingered in his ears, growing lower with every word he said and every step Isao made toward the entrance of the Diner. "She said she would be a few minutes late because of traffic. Now, Sanae, do you think she would like..." The rest faded away as Isao arrived at his destination, where he surveyed the elevator again for any sign of the famous daughter of the Himemiya.

He didn't have to wait long. Another car stopped at the highest floor of the Plaza and opened to admit a girl whose face often appeared on the magazines. Himemiya Chikane didn't look remotely similar to her parents, yet her composure rivaled that of Aoki despite her youth and her beauty outshone that of Sanae on her best day. Her floor-length hair was a stream of luxuriant liquid lapis lazuli that seemed to gather the light from the numerous bulbs on the ceiling, her face a picturesque scenery present in the finest artist's work, and her eyes a pair of sapphire gems that could draw in a man's soul. _His_ soul. She was wearing an elegant snowy dress that emphasized her sensual curves and greatly augmented her beauty to that of the full moon in a cloudless night. On the covers of the magazines, she was already dazzling. She was much more so now in person and standing an arm's length away from him.

She wasn't alone. Linking arms with the genius pianist and composer was another girl not quite on the same league. Judging by the two narrow streams of hair falling from her ivy hat and on either side of her face, Isao would say that her hair possessed a natural golden shade that was as rare on a Japanese as her casual clothes, which was seldom seen on his wealthy customers. Although he would not call her beautiful – none had the right to be described so in Himemiya Chikane's presence – she was angelically adorable with her red scarf, her white jacket, her red shirt, and her slightly bleached jeans. She was even more so now that she was beaming brightly at her companion in a way would melt other people's heart.

"Good afternoon, ladies," he greeted them upon their approach and bowed to them with the same respect he had offered the Himemiya couple.

"Good afternoon," Chikane replied and inclined her head slightly in response. Her companion murmured something his ears didn't catch, but she bowed to him very politely and made him smile. He was pleased. Youngsters nowadays rarely found this kind of respect. The Gods knew how many of them had he seen cutting into his lane on the freeways and flipping him fingers because he didn't drive fast enough to suit their taste. "We have a reservation under the name of Himemiya."

"Of course," Isao said. "Your parents have already arrived." She lifted an eyebrow in surprise but said nothing. He decided that her sharp sapphire gaze made him nervous. "I'll lead the way."

He thought the finely brought up girl was the guest of the Himemiya. He knew he was wrong the instant he spied surprise unfolding on Aoki and Sanae's faces as their eyes dawned upon the two girls he had brought to the table. Clearly, the golden-haired young lady's presence was unexpected.

"Hello Father, Mother," Himemiya Chikane murmured to her parents as she took her seat, either oblivious to their facial expressions or ignoring them altogether. Her companion settled down next to her, appearing mightily anxious. "Have you been waiting for long?"

"Not really," Aoki answered atop his interlaced hands, his eyes obsidian augers boring into the renowned musician's sapphire as though trying to read her thoughts. His wince said he wasn't succeeding. "You did not mention on the phone that you were bringing a _friend_." It was as though he was tasting the word on his tongue, a word he never thought he would associate with his prodigious daughter. His wife confined herself to tapping her lips thoughtfully, her eyes full of questions she was ready to barrage on Chikane's guest. The golden-haired girl looked seriously afraid and more than ready to take flight. She was the picture of a small chick in front of two foxes quite interested in spilling her innards. He didn't know why such a strange image surfaced in his mind.

"It was supposed to be a surprise." The blue-haired musician flashed her parents a secretive smile that confused them even more. Isao could tell that she was enjoying this. Not so her companion, though. The cute girl in casual clothes looked like she was sitting on hot coals.

"In any case," Aoki decided to change the topic, the sharp eyes he directed at Chikane promised later inquiries, "will you introduce us to this lovely friend of yours?" His attention swiveled to the golden-haired girl, who swallowed audibly as a result.

Standing rigidly on his feet, Isao wished he were back inside the safe haven of his office. The heavy atmosphere cloaking over them made him decidedly uncomfortable despite the fact that none of them seemed to remember that he was standing right here. He wondered if he should talk.

"Her name is Himeko," the young musician said. "Kurusugawa Himeko." She gestured at the second most powerful man of the Empire. "Himeko, this is my Father, Himemiya Aoki." Her hand moved to the woman who had spent years following her husband and supported him in every possible way, or so the reporters who interviewed her wrote in their articles. "My Mother, Himemiya Sanae."

"Um..." the golden-haired girl cleared her throat nervously, "it's a pleasure to meet you." She bowed to the Himemiya couple and received a polite yet brief nod from each in return. Isao couldn't tell whether they were upset or were just too stunned by the appearance of their child's friend to get their act together. As always, his precious patrons were skilled at hiding their emotions behind unreadable faces. Trying to guess what they were thinking proved to be as difficult as climbing the Everest. Without gears.

"Chikane," spoke Aoki in a civil voice suitable for any business meeting, "I would like to have a few words with you in private." He turned to Himeko, his face breaking into a huge smile slightly touched with exasperation. "Please excuse us, Kurusugawa-san." He rose from his seat, appearing confidence that his daughter would join him. She remained sitting atop hers, to his shock. He blinked. His smile vanished.

"There is no need, Father," Chikane announced in a quiet voice. "I know what you wish to say."

"Is that so?" There was no change in Aoki's tone. There was no shift in his facial expression. Yet Isao's hackles still tried to stand up. _I'm not looking at a family feud in the making, am I?_

"Yes." His prodigy of a daughter nodded. "You planned to tell me that I should not have brought her to an omiai you arranged, did you not?" Her lovely companion laid a hand on her arm as though wanting to tell her to calm down. The smile she received was a promise that nothing bad was going to happen.

Isao wished he could believe that.

Himemiya Sanae decided to speak up. "Please be seated, dear," she told her husband in a soothing voice. "Let us not make a commotion and create trouble for the manager." To Isao's immense relief, Aoki nodded his assent and retook his seat.

"Please do not take us wrong," Himemiya Sanae murmured soothingly. "Aoki and I are overjoyed by the fact that you, Chikane, had made a friend. Kurusugawa-san, please believe me when I say that we would love to have lunch with you and learn how you succeeded in befriending our anti-social daughter." A quiet chuckle robbed the sting of her words. The golden-haired girl offered an easy smile in return. "However, it is also true our family is here for an important meeting. I would like to offer you our deepest apology and regret, but I am afraid we may have to invite you to a lunch, or maybe dinner, with us on another day."

Hashizume Isao found himself wanting to nod in approval. Sanae was indeed very eloquent. With but a few words, she had managed to defuse the situation and allowed Kurusugawa Himeko a way out while still keeping a high level of courtesy. He wished he possessed this kind of power of persuasion. His restaurant would have flourished even more with it.

Unfortunately, Himemiya Chikane refused to back down.

"Mother," she began, respect unwavering in her quiet but unyielding tone, "I invited Himeko here for a reason. Besides, I would like to have her stay and enjoy the food of a restaurant you and Father often praised to the skies."

Isao felt a rush of pride at the indirect compliment. His lips quirked upward into a joyous smile.

"And what reason could be so important, Chikane," Sanae inquired curiously, "that you would want to trouble Kurusugawa-san with our family matters?"

"Mother, Father," the famous musician eyed the Himemiya couple carefully to drive the words home, "I brought her to see you because I wished to let you become acquainted to the person into whose hands I have surrendered my heart. Himeko is not _just_ a friend. She is my _girlfriend_."

Aoki and Sanae's faces went blank. Isao's jaw wanted to drop. The magazines he read often portrayed Himemiya Chikane as an ice princess completely immune against the disease called love. Citing numerous sources, each of which according to them was as reliable as the next, they claimed that she had mercilessly turned down prominent men worldwide, including the most handsome actors in Hollywood, who had fallen in love with her beauty and her music. Rumors had it that she once said in an interview that none she met was right for her. Little did they know that the person who conquered Himemiya Chikane was a girl no one had ever heard of.

"No, she's not," a cold voice said behind him.

Turning around, Isao found himself staring at Renna Akemi, the daughter to the Mayor of Mahoroba. A frequent patron, she was as beautiful as ever today with her violet shoulderless dress, the distinct sheen of which named its material to be first-class satin, and a long snowy cloth that wound around her slender back and rested on the crooks of her elbows. However, her lips weren't wearing the gentle smile she showed him every visit. There were dark circles around her tired obsidian eyes, betraying a night without sleep. Her face was darkened with fury. He wanted to step back from her.

"Renna-san!" exclaimed Kurusugawa Himeko, springing to her feet. Her eyes, bearing the rare color of amethyst gems, widened in shock.

"Kurusugawa-san," Akemi murmured in response, her voice and face softening.

"Good to see you again, Renna-san," the blue-haired musician greeted the Mayor's daughter with a strange smile on her lips. It seemed to have infuriated the latter even more. The short-haired girl's face hardened enough to crack rocks. Her dark eyes contained enough fire to burn Isao's restaurant down to its floor. He swallowed hard and scanned the vicinity. Fortunately, the VIP section was deserted save for this table, and the nearest customer was too far away and too engrossed in his food to eavesdrop.

"I should have suspected it when you introduced yourself yesterday, _Himemiya-san,"_ replied Akemi, her tone scathing.

"You two met already?" Aoki spoke, his thin eyebrows furrowing together. Sanae simply frowned at the two girls and said nothing. Chikane, now, studied the newcomer with an expression Isao could only call _"deeply amused."_ Once in a while, her sapphire eyes would flicker toward her parents, who didn't notice, as though wanting to tell them that she knew of their schemes.

 _And what might they be?_ he wondered. The answer came to him like the breaking dawn. _Oh, I see! Akemi's the official guest of the Himemiya! But wait, didn't they say this was supposed to be an omiai?_ His eyebrows shot up. _Could it be... that they planned to introduce another_ girl _to their_ daughter _as a romantic interest from the beginning? What's going on? I thought the Himemiya was a bunch of homophobes!_

"We did," the future lawyer confirmed. "It was yesterday, at Kurusugawa-san's birthday party."

She could have just pulled the trigger of a shotgun by such a simple statement. Aoki and Sanae's piercing eyes swiveled back to Himeko. She gave a start. Giving her parents a look, the Himemiya daughter draped an arm across her alleged girlfriend's shoulders and pulled her closer as though offering comfort and protection against the two people who sat across from them. Aoki grimaced. Sanae chuckled. Akemi looked like she wanted to explode. Isao pondered fleeing back to his office and cursing himself for having decided to attend to his guests personally.

"Yesterday was your birthday too, Kurusugawa-san?" Sanae inquired in a mildly curious voice.

"Um... yes," the golden-haired girl confirmed. Then she blinked. _"Too?"_

It was the wrong answer, for it clouded the faces of the Himemiya couple with deep suspicions.

"Your _girlfriend_ ," Aoki invested the word with so much doubts he could have flat out named his daughter a liar, "didn't _know_ yesterday was your birthday? Daughter, please tell me that you have not just picked up some random person on the street and brought her here to deceive us."

If his tone offended Himeko, she showed no signs of it. In fact, she didn't appear to have _heard_ it at all. Face basking in a dreamy glow that betrayed the pleasant surprise she was feeling, she turned to her famous companion and asked in a breathless voice, "Why didn't you tell me? I would have bought something for you."

"You gave me a wonderful present last night already," Himemiya Chikane whispered as her index finger tapped her girlfriend on the nose and her lips blossomed into an affectionate smile. "What more could I need?" The golden-haired girl blushed furiously.

 _They're not acting,_ Hashizume Isao made up his mind. Unless the musician had developed a talent for acting that was on the same par as her genius in music, she couldn't have faked a smile that was so full of love. It seemed to have taken her parents aback, too. Yet, she failed to convince Renna Akemi, who was quietly steaming where she stood. She reminded Isao of a volcano ready to blow.

"At what time were you born, Himeko?" the musician inquired. "I am curious."

"Um," her lover, no doubt about that now, cleared her throat, "it's ten past ten in the evening." The blue-haired girl stared at her, speechless. "Um... is there something wrong?" Anxiety racked her voice.

 _But yesterday was the tenth day of the tenth month!_ Isao mused. _Isn't that amazing?_

The astonishment painting over Aoki and Sanae's face proved that they thought so too. However, he soon learned that it was because of an entirely different reason.

"Kurusugawa-san, how old are you, if I may ask?" the second-most powerful man of Himemiya International demanded, not quite unkindly.

"I'm nineteen, sir," she responded diffidently. Isao thought that if the man kept staring at her like this, she might change her answer.

"Same age..." Incredulity filled Aoki's obsidian eyes. "You mean to tell me you and my daughter were born at the same time?" His wife didn't seem able to believe her own ears. "What kind of coincidence is this?" he exclaimed, his disbelief changing into awe.

"I didn't know, Chikane-chan..." whispered the golden-haired girl, her hands reaching up to place on either side of her lover's beautiful face. Tremblingly, she caressed her.

"I guess that means we are really meant for each other," the musician said. She put her arms around the slender frame of the other girl and hugged her tightly, appearing to have forgotten that the rest of the world existed. The sight melted Isao's heart, making it difficult for him to resist the urge to go _"Aw!"_

"Himemiya Chikane-san," Renna Akemi's voice cut the air like thunder. "Can I have a word with you outside?"

Himemiya Aoki asked his daughter the same question earlier, but he did it in a manner that suggested a friendly father-daughter conversation. The future lawyer's tone implied a vicious catfight. Isao groaned inwardly. Of all places to settle a love triangle – why, the Mayor's daughter reeked of raging jealousy, a blind man could see that – why did they have to choose the Ichihana Diner?

"Of course, Renna-san," Chikane answered coolly and rose from her seat. Her girlfriend looked up at her, worried and anxious. "I will be back shortly, Himeko." The musician bent down and placed a soft kiss on the other girl's forehead and drew from her a loving smile. Her parents looked poleaxed. Judging by their shocked expressions, Isao would surmise that they hadn't seen anything quite like this before.

Hashizume Isao, on the other hand, had. Every year his Ichihana Diner celebrated Valentine's Day by offering free dinners for two. Every year he received lovers of the same gender at their table and wishing them a perfect Valentine's before moving on to the next. He had seen them express their affections in ways that were far more passionate. Sometimes, he had had to remind them that perhaps they should tone down a little bit, for his restaurant was still a public location.

Coincidentally, his business had come from a couple whose relationship was known across town. Two years ago, on February the fourteenth, the famous mangaka Reiko-sensei and her lover Korona, a rising star in the music world, had come to Ichihana for dinner. They had been so pleased by the food, his warm reception, and the professional service of his staff that when it was time for them to leave, they put on the table a tip that was exactly the amount they had to pay for the entire meal. The next morning, Korona herself exclaimed to a reporter that she had the most delicious dinner of her life at the Diner. The generous praise was the start of a rocket rise in his business's revenue.

"After you, Renna-san." Himemiya Chikane's voice jerked him back to reality just in time for him to see the two girls, one's beauty completely eclipsed by that of the other, treading toward the entrance. The renowned musician appeared to be on a leisure walk, the future lawyer a soldier hurrying toward a raging battlefield. Isao pondered sending someone to follow them just in case something horrible happened. This kind of publicity he really didn't need.

"We are sorry you had to see this, Isao-kun." Himemiya Aoki rubbed his forehead and sighed. "You have our deepest and most sincere apologies."

"Please do not trouble yourself over it, sir," he replied quickly.

"Well then," the baby-faced man said, "I think we should not inconvenience you any longer. Let us order food, dear." He turned to his wife.

"Please go ahead and order, Kurusugawa-san," Sanae invited. The golden-haired girl, who had been perusing the menu for a while now to avoid looking at the parents of the girl she loved, gave a mild start and began shaking her head so vigorously her ivy hat nearly fell off. She made him smile.

"I didn't really know what is good here, ma'am," Himeko said.

Anything _here is good, child,_ Isao thought indulgently.

"Is it okay for us to decide for you, then?" the older woman asked, a strange light twinkling in her obsidian pupils. Although he couldn't say what, he was aware that perhaps she was planning something.

"Yes," the golden-haired girl affirmed.

Sanae turned to him and asked, "What would you recommend today, Isao-san?"

"Earlier this morning we received a shipment of live lobsters caught fresh from the sea," Isao revealed. "Our head chef's special this afternoon is named _'The Lord of the Seven Seas,'_ featuring an eight-pound lobster stir-fried in seven different spices, hot chili, onions, leeks, and various other ingredients."

"If it did not trouble you too much," Sanae murmured quietly, "would you mind listing these?"

Isao blinked. _What's this all of a sudden?_ he asked himself. _She never wanted to know before!_

Still, he bowed in acquiescence and announced that he of course wouldn't mind before he cleared his throat and recited from his memories all the information she demanded. It was a piece of cake. Every time his chefs added to the menu, he sat down in the kitchen and asked them to make the exact same dish. He watched them prepare it, he inspected every spice and every ingredient, and he used his sensitive taste bud to judge whether he should approve.

"I see." The beautiful woman nodded, pleased. "Now..." Her voice faltered. Stealing a quick look at her husband, who eyed her oddly, she continued smoothly where she left off. "What else, Isao-kun?"

"Wagyu steak cooked in butter and served with our specialty sauce, ma'am," he advertised.

"And how do you prepare it?" the legal expert inquired, her small chin propped atop her interlaced fingers.

Patiently, Isao once again did as Sanae wished. That was why he wasn't exactly surprised when he found himself doing the same thing as he recommended other dishes. Fifteen minutes later, when he had finished with the final one, Sharkfin soup with sliced shiitake mushroom, he thought he just stepped out from an investigation room.

"Well then," Aoki's wife murmured, "we would like that lobster dish, five servings of Wagyu steak, five bowls of Sharkfin soup, and a bottle of Hangzhou Rose Wine for Aoki and myself." Unaware of an approving nod from her husband, who was obviously pleased with her choices, she glanced at Himeko. "Would you like anything to drink, Kurusugawa-san?"

"Um, just a glass of water, please?" the cute girl requested, her diffident tone making her even more fragile than she already seemed in Isao's eyes. Strangely enough, she seemed to be sitting on hot coals again, having the look of someone anxious to speak but hadn't received permission to do so.

"That would be all, Isao-san," Sanae said and laid down her menu, her eyes still fixed on the girl sitting across the table. "When Chikane and Renna-san return, they will call their own drinks."

"As you wish, ma'am." Hashizume Isao bowed and retrieved the menus from his customers' hands. "Is there something I can help you with, young lady?" he addressed himself to Kurusugawa Himeko the moment she opened her mouth.

"Um... may I... make some modifications to the order?" Her voice held no confidence, betraying her expectation to have her request rejected. Isao intended to hear her out.

"Of course." He nodded and smiled warmly at her. "What may they be?" He was fully aware that the Himemiya couple was eyeing their daughter's romantic interest like a pair of foxes would a small chick who wandered carelessly into the woods. He suddenly felt an urge to protect her.

"Um... for the lobster," she said gratefully, "is it possible for you to not put in the chili, sir?" She glanced at Aoki and Sanae, who kept silent, and swallowed hard.

"You don't like it hot?" Isao smiled at her again.

"No, no." She shook her head. "I do. It's just that Chikane-chan wouldn't touch anything spicy." Her face colored a little at the name of her girlfriend, the suffix at the end of which drawing curious glances from the other adults,. "She hates them very much."

"I see, I see," he murmured, making a mental note to himself. He would certainly relay this to the chefs as well as write it down once he returned to his office in case the world renowned musician returned to Ichihana in the future. "Would that be all?"

"Ah. For the steak, would you make it well-done?" Himeko implored. "Chikane-chan likes her food that way. And would you hold the onions? She dislikes the smell and it'd leave a weird taste in her mouth. Um, skim down on the butter, too? She can eat a little, but too much would ruin her appetite."

Isao sensed a gentle wave of warmth rising in his heart. He hadn't been reunited with this feeling for quite a while now.

"Would you like to change something about the soup, too, young lady?" he inquired.

"Ah, yes." She nodded. "Four servings are enough. Chikane-chan won't eat hers." She eyed Aoki and Sanae again, whose expressions had changed from unreadable to surprised. Their eyes were teacups.

"At home, she always ate it when it was served," Aoki muttered. "How can you be so sure?"

Himeko seemed to be on the verge of panic. "Um..." she stammered. "As far as I know, the soup doesn't have anything she hates. It's... it's just that she thought it was really bland." The eyes of the Himemiya couple widened even further. Isao didn't think that this was a piece of information they knew of. "Oh, can I order something else, too?"

"Yes." He nodded warmly.

"Would you bring some green tea ice cream for Chikane-chan's desert, sir? She likes it a lot."

Aoki and Sanae's jaws looked like they wanted to drop. Another piece of new information, no doubt. It suddenly dawned on him the reason to Sanae's seemingly inexplicable questions. From what he had gathered from Kurusugawa Himeko, Himemiya Chikane was an extremely picky eater. Sanae knew it, so she asked him to inform her of the ingredients of the foods. She simply didn't ask him to alter it because she wanted to test whether her daughter's girlfriend – he didn't care whether the woman thought of the girl that way or not – was aware of the kinds of food Chikane liked or hated. Of course, Sanae had just received the surprise of her life. After all, this pretty girl here knew something she and her husband did not.

"How about yourself, young lady?" Isao asked Himeko.

"Me, sir?" She peered at him, perplexed.

"Yes." He smiled. "It's good that you care for your Chikane-chan so thoroughly, but shouldn't you tell me how I should prepare _your_ food, too?"

"Um..." She glanced at the two people sitting opposite her.

"Remove the shiitake mushroom from her serving of Sharkfin soup, please. She loathes them," Himemiya Chikane's melodious voice spoke quietly. The beautiful musician, who was attracting admiring stares from the other customer as she stood in all of her glory behind Isao from the Gods knew when, settled down on the seat next to that of her lover and smiled sweetly at her.

"Chikane-chan," the golden-haired girl called softly.

"It shall be as you wish, ma'am." Isao bowed to the genius pianist and composer. "And forgive me if I step out of line. I offer no disrespect, but I envy you for having such a wonderful girlfriend who loves you so much. My own doesn't even remember that I'm allergic to peanuts and continues to serve those horrible things in my food." He gave a soft chuckle that made Himeko blush hotly and drew from Chikane a joyous smile. "You are certainly blessed, if I may say so. Now, if you will excuse me."

He left the table and headed straight to the kitchen. Today, he was going to prepare their food with his own hands. Smiling, Hashizume Isao decided that the portion of food dedicated to Kurusugawa Himeko would taste the best. She deserved it.

* * *

Growing up in the Renna Clan, one nearly as ancient as the Himemiya and almost as rich, Renna Akemi had only encountered two situations in which things did not go her way. One of them was more or less six months ago, when she was struck with a heartrending breakup she had done her best to prevent. The other... was yesterday, when Kurusugawa Himeko, the girl she had been harboring a huge crush on since the school term started, rejected her confession and completely crushed her hope for a second chance at love.

Less than twenty-four hours ago, she had excused herself from the party while trying desperately to maintain a composure that had been fatally wounded. She nearly crashed her car twice on the freeways. She thought she was going to die when her Lexus GS-800 spun out of control despite her furious pumping on the brake and stopped a hair's breadth away from death's door, a metal railing bordering the road that led up to her family's manor on the top of the hill. Had she reacted a fraction of a second later, the car would have dived head-first into the steep valley below and probably blown into smithereens. She had broken down crying atop the steering wheel then and did not stop until a long while later, when she fortunately managed to gather pieces of her broken soul and drive herself home safely. The maids in the manor probably wondered why their normally cool, calm, and collected Ojou-sama had hurried to her room with a pair of swollen red eyes, but Akemi was glad they did not mention it to her mom and dad.

Last night, she didn't sleep a wink. Sitting on her humongous bed, she had gazed beyond the balcony and up at the crescent one-day-old moon, wondering what could have went wrong in her love life. She knew she was a caring person, a good friend, and a gentle lover who would stop at nothing to bring a smile to her sweetheart. That was why she could not understand why her first love dumped her despite all the things she had done to protect their relationship. Neither could she accept Kurusugawa Himeko's explanation that she had found _someone_ she loved. How could she, especially when she knew that the Photography Major had only been acquainted to that certain _someone_ for less than a few hours? How could she, when she was sure she loved the golden-haired girl much more than Himemiya Chikane ever would? She had caught herself cursing that very same name quite a few times.

Neither did she expect to meet the girl at the Ichihana Diner – with Kurusugawa, no less! – nor did she imagine that the blue-haired girl was in fact the only daughter of Himemiya Sanae, who was a Renna prior to her taking the prestigious Himemiya family name and also a cousin thrice removed to Akemi's father. The two of them grew up together, they attended the same school since the first grade to the day they graduated as the top of their class in Yale, and they were so close that everybody thought they would eventually marry each other. Akemi admired Sanae a great deal, for the latter was an impressive legal expert and a strong woman who knew how to love and stand up to her husband at the same time. That was why Akemi had not hesitated before she accepted an invitation to lunch with her distant aunt, the second-in-command of the Himemiya Empire, and their daughter, whom Akemi had never met.

It was she who came with her brother and father to the airport to receive the two. It was she who had taken them to this Plaza with her Lexus GS-800. It was also she who had asked them to come up to the restaurant first because she happened to meet a professor in the parking lot in the basement, who insisted on having a few words with her – more like a whole speech dedicated to praising her on her performance in class – before he let her go. She had had the surprise of her life, then, when she stepped inside the Ichihana Diner and found the girl she loved, Kurusugawa Himeko, sitting next to Himemiya Chikane and being introduced as the latter's girlfriend. Her anger had flared uncontrollably at the word. That unfortunate encounter had resulted in her lying on her stomach right now on the empty eighth floor of the parking structure and weeping against the concrete floor.

It was an encounter she would never forget. A few minutes speaking with Himemiya Chikane had sent her storming down the stairs leading to the basement while emotions went off like explosives in her heart and threatened to destroy her. While hurrying down the steps – she had not taken the elevator because she feared she might break down within that Plexiglass container and embarrassed herself in front of the public – she prayed that her composure would hold at least until she got inside her car. It didn't. After a few steps into the parking space, she lost her balance because one of the high heels had broken off her shoes. Pain had erupted the moment her front landed on the hard concrete floor and unraveled the last restraints she had placed on her tumultuous feelings, consequently spilling hot, bitter tears out of the wells of her swollen eyes. She had cried like a baby, and still was now while wishing that she could stop herself before people walked in on her.

She couldn't.

Panic and horror sprang into life in her as her tears stopped and her ears picked up soft, hesitant footfalls approaching from behind her back. Her aching heart went still in fear. Hurriedly, she tried to use her hands and knees to push her back to her feet. She failed. As her palms touched the concrete floor, another rush of physical agony burst and pulled her back down. With her left cheek pressed against the dirty surface and tears dripping off her face, she wished someone would kill her right now to spare her the heartbreak and the embarrassment.

"Are you okay?" a young female voice asked.

Propping herself on her forearms, Akemi gazed upward and found herself looking at a girl who seemed to be very familiar. Bearing the vivid color of the living flame, her long hair fell down her front and eventually thinned as it flowed through a neatly tied ribbon. Her face was quite pretty, her eyes shining under the cold light of the fluorescent tubes on the ceiling like amber under the summer sun, and her forehead creased with what Akemi guessed to be worries. She was wearing clothes as casual as those of Kurusugawa Himeko. Simple Nike sneakers adorned her feet, a pair of white jeans graced her lower body, and a black tee-shirt covered her from her abdomen to her shoulders, unable to hide the curves of her full chest.

"I'm... alright..." Akemi mumbled and pushed herself onto her knees with her forearms alone.

"I don't think so," the other girl remarked. Quietly, she squatted down in front of Akemi and peered at her with an expression full of heartfelt concerns.

"I'm sorry, but do I know you?" Akemi asked stupidly. Her memories were usually good, but the tumultuous feelings she was experiencing at the moment had befuddled it completely. Even her name was trying to slip away from her grip.

"We met yesterday at Himeko's birthday party, remember?" answered the flame-haired girl in a very soft voice. "My name's Takako. Kouzuki Takako." Her amber eyes regarded Akemi's face curiously, but she made no attempt to inquire as to why it was soaked.

"Ah..." Light of recognition dawned on her clouded mind. She remembered Kouzuki now.

"You're hurt." A slender, pretty hand gestured at Akemi's own. From the bruises on her palms, the results of that unfortunate fall, a viscous liquid of a bright red color was emerging and coalescing into large, round drops that looked more like tears than blood. "Here, let me." The flame-haired girl pulled from her one of her pants' pocket a blue handkerchief, which she unfolded and tore into three pieces. Two of these she wrapped around Akemi's hands and tied off in elegant knots. The last she dabbed at Akemi's face, wiping off moisture and dirt. She was very gentle. Her amber gaze was very kind.

Anguish rushed from her heart to her brain as she suddenly threw her arms around Kouzuki Takako's neck and wept openly onto her shoulder. In the full-throated wails escaping from her mouth and echoing noisily in the basement, she felt a pair of slender arms slipped beneath hers and wound tightly around her back, pulling her closer against the other girl's soft front. It was the first time she had been engulfed in the warmth of another girl ever since her first love announced that she didn't want Akemi for a girlfriend anymore.

"Cry all your want," the flame-haired girl whispered, one of her hands reaching up and stroking the back of Akemi's head. "You'll feel much better then. Don't hold back."

She didn't. Comforted by the frighteningly gentle strokes of Kouzuki Takako's hands and by the warmth that penetrated the clothes separating their bodies and seeped into her flesh, Akemi forsook her false façade for the first time in front of a second person and shed all the tears spilling forth from her heart.

* * *

"Akemi is not home yet?" Himemiya Sanae repeated dully into her cell phone after receiving an answer from a maid of the Renna family. She was standing at the balcony on the second floor of her and her husband's summer house, which overlooked the Himemiya's currently empty private beach. Behind her, on either side of the French window of the master bedroom, the neatly tied curtains were trembling in the cool breezes blowing inland and bringing the salty flavor of the sea. "I see, thank you," she murmured politely and hung up. Worries clawed at her. She had already directed three phone calls to the future lawyer's mobile, and none was answered. Now, she had just found out that the girl was not home, which was more or less a stone's throw away from her family's humongous mansion on the hill's top.

 _Gods, let the child be okay,_ Sanae prayed. _If anything happens to her, I do not think I know how to apologize to her mom and dad. I do not think I can even forgive myself._

Everything had started with a good intention. Ever fond of her niece, whom she considered her own daughter due to the closeness she shared with her distant cousin Renna Akihiro, she had felt very sad when she heard that the child's heart had been brutally wounded in the aftermath of her relationship. Half a year ago, Sanae had been quite surprised upon hearing that the future lawyer had openly dated another girl despite the public's criticism – worthless people who had not a clue what love was – and in the full support of her understanding parents. Having frequently heard how perfect their relationship was from Akemi's father, she did not expect that it would end so soon, or so abruptly. Desperately wanting to deliver the girl out of her grief as quickly as possible, Sanae had chosen Akemi for the omiai.

Her husband had been taken aback when Sanae _"nominated"_ her quite distant niece to be a candidate for Chikane's lover. He asked her why she chose a _girl_ of all people in the world, and how she was so sure that their precious musician would not reject the choice outright. She had had to remind him that their daughter herself once stated in a conversation with them that genders played no role in love, and that she was as likely to take a girl for a lover as she would a boy. Aoki eventually conceded that since Chikane had turned down every boy they introduced to her, it might be time for them to do something _different_.

The last qualm the man had raised was about the fact that he wanted to have lots of grandchildren. She had laughed and invited him to pay more attention to the Himemiya's latest discoveries in the medical field. Thanks to their R&D Division, it was possible for a couple of the same gender to produce an offspring _purely_ of their own. He shut up after that.

Sanae had spent the last week looking forward to this omiai, for the short-haired girl, who was going to be a lawyer with great fame one day, had every quality that Sanae looked for in her daughter's romantic interest. Akemi was kind, mild-mannered, and talented. She was also true to herself, seeing how she dared defy peers' pressure just so she could be with someone she loved. Furthermore, she had always been a strong child who could stand up to just about any obstacle she encountered in life. Her willpower, as Sanae saw it, was absolutely necessary in handling someone as headstrong as her own daughter.

Of course, little did she expect that instead of admiration, it was cool disinterest and blatant hostility that they traded the moment they met. Neither did she imagine that the future lawyer already harbored a huge crush on the _same_ girl Chikane had brought along. The rage of jealousy her niece had unleashed was so intense it cracked her usual impregnable composure. It was the first time Sanae saw the imperturbable Renna Akemi blew a gasket.

Sanae massaged her temples. _Dear Heaven, but this is a mess._ She had wanted to make up to Renna Akihiro for her choice in the past – her distant cousin used to be madly in love with her, but she had had to refuse him because she already relinquished her heart to Himemiya Aoki – by offering her precious daughter to his. Who could have thought that her good intention turned out to be another blow to her niece's already tender heart? Who could have expected that the person to deliver that devastating blow was her own daughter, who was supposed to take the future lawyer for her romantic interest?

 _And speaking of romantic interest..._ A smile crossed her lips, temporarily relieving her stress and her guilt. _At least Chikane is smitten with a nice girl instead of some questionable character._

Unbelievable as it might seem, Sanae liked Kurusugawa Himeko from the very start.

 _"Where is Akemi?" Himemiya Sanae's beloved husband demanded, his hand clutching a glass of the Hangzhou Rose Wine poured by a waitress a couple of minutes earlier. In front of Sanae sat another one, completely untouched. She did not want liquor to impair her observation of Kurusugawa Himeko, a girl both Chikane and Akemi had fallen head over heels for._

 _The first reason she could think of was the golden-haired girl's attractiveness. She did possess an adorable face bordering on angelic that invoked thoughts of adoration from either gender. Sanae would not deny sensing a flash of attraction toward the nineteen-year-old the first time her eyes dawned on her._ Chikane does have good taste, _Sanae assessed mentally._ Lucky, too, to have a girl this cute madly in love with her. _She did not doubt the love part. She could not speak for her husband, but a look at the two assured her that a deep, unbreakable bond had been forged between their hearts. The little conversation Kurusugawa had with Hashizume Isao only confirmed it._

 _"She left, Father," answered Chikane. No more details were given. Frowning, the man grunted noncommittally. He knew that pressing her for information served no purpose and would be to no avail. Sanae resisted an urge to sigh. She regretted spoiling her daughter. To the musician, Sanae and Aoki might be more like friends than parents. She loved them and respected them, that much was granted, but it did not mean she would do what they wished her to. Trying to compel her against her will was like pulling_ their _teeth._

 _"So Renna-san was the person who was supposed to be your..." the golden-haired girl hesitated, stole a quick glance at Sanae and Aoki, then fell quiet._

 _"Apparently so." Chikane gave her girlfriend a brief smile that was definitely full of amusement. "As to why my parents considered my distant cousin to be my romantic interest, I cannot say."_

 _"She's your cousin?" Himeko blinked. "But I thought the two of you first met yesterday."_

 _"She is," the young musician acknowledged. "And we did. I heard about her from my parents before, so I realized who she was the moment she introduced herself." She chuckled softly. "And I also should have known that_ she _was the person my Father and Mother were bringing to lunch when she said that she, her father, and her brother were going to the airport to pick up some important guests. Both men were married, you see."_

 _"But she just confessed to me yesterday," the golden-haired girl said, surprised. "Why would she do that if she already agreed to an omiai?"_

 _"She did not know it was one." Sanae coughed delicately into her hand. "I only said we wished to have lunch with her, you see." It had taken her a great deal of effort to keep surprise out of her face. It suddenly dawned on her as to why the future lawyer harbored such intense hostility toward Sanae's daughter._ Chikane must have been the reason why Akemi was rejected! Gods, but Akihiro is going to give me an earful for this.

 _"I see," Kurusugawa Himeko mumbled._

 _"In any case," Sanae decided to change the topic, "I will speak to Akemi later. For now, what I would like to do is learn more about you, Kurusugawa-san. I hope you will not feel as though we are interrogating you. It is a big deal for us parents to know that Chikane has found a... lover, you would understand." The golden-haired girl looked up at her, face flushing with shyness and embarrassment at the word. The glance she directed afterward at the musician was full of heartfelt affection, though._

So shy, so cute. _Sanae allowed herself a mental chuckle._ Gods, but I have always wanted a demure daughter like this. _Himemiya Chikane was born strong in body and strong in will. As such, there had been very few occasions where Sanae could act like a mother rather than a friend, comfort her when she was sad, or spoil her silly like other mothers loved to do. That was the reason why she often pestered her husband to give her another girl. It was rather... unfortunate that she and Aoki had become way too busy in managing the business of Himemiya International. They did not have the time to rear a second child, and they both knew it._

 _Eyes flickering almost imperceptibly at Kurusugawa Himeko, Sanae sensed a smile blooming on her lips. Well, if she could not have one of her own, she would settle for a sweet daughter-in-law._

 _"And besides, it is as I said earlier," she continued smoothly, hoping her thoughts had not shown on her face, "Aoki and I would very much like to know how you..._ conquered _our daughter._ " Her husband winced at the word. _"Would you mind if I ask you a few questions?"_

 _"Of course not, um..." The girl's voice faltered._

 _"Calling me by my given name is fine," Sanae said, smiling indulgently. Her husband shot her an exasperated look, probably meant to reprimand her for having allowed the intimacy. Knowing that Aoki had yet managed to accept what was going on – after all, the man had been struggling with Sanae's_ "nomination" _during the last week – she smiled and pretended she had not seen it. Mouth tightening, he took a quick sip at his wine and ended up choking on it. Chikane eyed him wryly. Her girlfriend – the word sounded quite normal in her mind now – looked at him worriedly. Sanae resisted the urge to laugh._

 _"Thank you, Sanae-san," Kurusugawa Himeko murmured._

 _"Are you still going to school?" Sanae inquired._

 _"Yes," came the quiet answer. "I'm studying Photography at Izumo Open University."_

 _Aoki made some strange noise in his throat, but he quickly fell quiet as soon as he noticed that the two girls were studying him in curiosity and realized that an adult was not expected to make such an... excited sound. Scowling, he hid his face in his wineglass. Sanae confined herself to a knowing smile. Her husband had always been a child at heart despite the cold demeanor he reserved for his business partners and the cool exterior he displayed in front of just about everybody else in the Clan._

 _"Forgive me, but how are your grades?"_

 _The girl blushed. "Not too good," she professed, her beautiful amethyst eyes downcast, her hands fumbling with the buttons of her jacket. "I love Photography, and I think I do well with hands-on assignments... but..." Her complexion turned a scarlet shade. Chikane, who had her eyes on her lover from the start, colored at the sight and looked as though she was resisting an urge to pull Kurusugawa into her arms and kiss her for all she was worth._ She has it bad, too, _Sanae decided._

 _"But?" she prompted._

 _"But I'm horrible at taking tests," the Photography Major responded in a low, embarrassed voice. "My brain isn't good for memorizing stuff, I think." She offered Sanae a rueful smile._

Honest, is she not? _Sanae mused. Such sincerity was always a plus to her. Being Aoki's legal adviser, she frequently had to be immersed in a business world where lies were spewed without reserve and untruthfulness dominated all conversations. It delighted her greatly to be able to speak to someone without continuously pondering whether that someone was telling the truth._

 _"Do your parents pay for your education, or do you do it yourself?"_

 _"Um, I have a sponsor who covers of the tuition for me," she answered quietly. "My parents... they passed away in a plague when I was little."_

 _Her facial expression softening, Chikane draped a gentle arm across the shorter girl's shoulders and pulled her a little closer to offer comfort. Gazing upward in gratitude and love, Kurusugawa lifted her face and would have given Sanae's daughter a kiss on the cheek had Aoki not cleared his throat suddenly and reminded the two that they were not alone, consequently making the Photography Major blush furiously and direct her amethyst gaze to her feet. Sanae wanted to sigh._ He is trying to ruin this, is he not? _She pondered pulling the man aside and having a few quick words with him._

 _"I am very sorry to hear that," she commiserated. "Life must have been difficult for you."_

 _"Not really!" The golden-haired girl shook her head. "I was given into the custody of my uncle and aunt. They took care of me even though they didn't really love me. They might have seen me as a burden... but I'm always grateful to them. Without them, I would have been tossed into an orphanage for sure." Her voice grew sad toward the end and suddenly Chikane's face firmed with determination. She always looked this way when she had decided on something and would resist any attempt to dissuade her from it._

As an orphan, she must have suffered a great deal of trauma in her childhood, _Sanae speculated._ Once she has become a Himemiya, we shall compensate for all her hardship. We shall love her as our own daughter. We shall let her feel unloved no more. _Her husband might raise hell as a result, but Sanae would bend him to her will like she usually did. To his opponents, he was the Devil. To his family, he was just a soft-hearted child._

 _"What do you do in your free time, Kurusugawa-san?" she asked atop her steepled finger._

 _"I am a staff member of the school newspaper, so I spend several hours a week outside of class for it," the Photography Major answered. "I work as an intern for a professional photographer in town the rest of the time."_

 _"Working for experience?" Sanae smiled._

 _"Partly," her daughter's girlfriend murmured. "I do need the money for rent and food."_

 _"I thought you had a sponsor." She blinked, surprised. "Did they not cover your living cost?"_

 _"He insisted on doing that," the golden-haired girl gave a nervous smile, "but I declined his offer. I didn't want to be more of a burden on him than I already was. Besides, I'd like to learn how to support myself. The only thing I couldn't afford was the tuition."_

 _"So that is why you live in... such a neighborhood although your sponsor is quite wealthy himself," Himemiya Chikane spoke quietly as she rubbed her forehead against that of her lover. "I am very proud of you, Himeko." The praise drew a timid smile from the golden-haired girl and suffused her cheeks with the color of blood. Silently, she wrapped a hand around that of Sanae's daughter and held it tight._

 _Glancing sideways at her husband, she found him nodding almost to himself. Once he noticed she was looking, however, he schooled his face to iciness again and avoided her eyes altogether. She chuckled. The man sure was not honest with himself. If he wanted to express his approval toward the Photography Major, he could have just said so. In any case, though, the girl had scored another point in Sanae's heart. She had always valued people who could support themselves. The Gods alone knew how many spoiled kids the Renna and the Himemiya had produced because they refused to let the children learn how difficult it was to earn money with their own hands._

No wonder why Chikane is so crazy about her, _Sanae thought._ Goodness gracious, but does this girl have _any_ flaw?

She did not have a chance to find out, for a couple of waitresses arrived at that moment, bringing foods the mouthwatering aromas of which overwhelmed all her senses and distracted her from any further attempt at a conversation. Not that she needed to pry any more information from Kurusugawa Himeko anyway. She, again, did not know about her husband, but she could only applaud her daughter for having chosen such a nice girl for her romantic interest. The Photography Major possessed many qualities youngsters these days did not have. She was honest, she was self-reliant, she was courteous, and she was definitely mild-mannered. Most important of all, she had devoted all her heart and soul to Chikane just as the latter did hers. Nothing else mattered. Not even Aoki's opposition, if it were still there after Sanae was through with him. She doubted that, though.

Smiling softly, she walked toward the entrance of the master bedroom, fully intending to go down to the first floor and have a talk with her still sullen husband. As soon as she stepped into the hallway, though, she heard soft footfalls from the staircase straight ahead. In the following instant, her daughter emerged, cradling in her arms a motionless Kurusugawa Himeko, whose face was buried in the blue-haired girl's neck. Unaware of Sanae's presence, her face wearing an expression at its most affectionate, Chikane turned to her right and headed inside a bedroom of this humongous summer house. The door drew shut.

Sensing her face suddenly warm up at the thought of what could the two girls could be doing in bed, Sanae hurried down the stairs, determined to get away before any... strange noise reached her ears and burned her cheeks. _Gods, but could you not wait until your father and I leave, Chikane?_

* * *

Heart bursting with joy and love, eyes trying to close down in sleepiness, Kurusugawa Himeko enjoyed the precious warmth of her beautiful girlfriend's body as the latter carried her across the massive bedroom and toward the huge bed at the very far end, where dark crimson curtains filtered out most of the afternoon sun and nurtured a comfortable darkness. Her breaths growing shorter and hotter, she felt herself being lowered softly like a baby onto the wide mattress, a hundred times softer than what she had back home. She expected her sweet lover to climb onto the bed with her, hold her tight, relieve her of the confinement of her clothes, and caress her body with gentler hands and even gentler lips. That was why she panicked upon seeing her kind Chikane-chan withdrawing her arms and straightening up. Before she knew what she was doing, her own arms flew around the musician's neck.

"Don't go," she pleaded weakly. Strength and consciousness were slipping away from her grasp. She clutched at them desperately. She didn't want to be claimed by, ironically, her much needed sleep. She wanted to stay awake. She knew she was fighting a losing battle. A few minutes ago, she had been nodding off atop a comfortable couch next to her princess in the living room. Against her will, her eyes had closed down and robbed her of her awareness for a few moments. Waking up, she found herself being carried up the stairs. She had blushed a sunset upon being told that the destination was a bed.

"Just for a little bit, Himeko," Chikane-chan assured her, her lips adorned by an affectionate smile. "I want to make a phone call. I will be back soon."

"Is it important?" she asked, unable to keep the hopeful note out of her drowsy voice. It wasn't a rhetorical question. It wasn't an attempt to dissuade the girl she loved. Although she was overwhelmed by a fit of selfishness, Himeko would be willing to let her sweetheart go and endure the insufferable absence of the moonlight of her world.

The princess gazed at her for a moment and shook her magnificent head, her luxuriant blue hair gathering the very dim light of the sun beyond the crimson curtain. "Not really. It can wait." The breath-taking nineteen-year-old, who surprisingly shared with her a birthday accurate to the minute, gracefully climbed onto the bed and settled down on one side next to her, never breaking the curve of her arms around the girl's neck. "Come over here, my little angel," she whispered and extended an arm across the mattress. Her bright sapphire eyes were brimming with love.

Gladdened beyond descriptions by the answer and the affectionate invitation, Himeko eased herself into the warm embrace of her precious and tangible moonlight. Head resting on a soft arm, nose breathing in the princess's intoxicating natural scent, eyes drinking in the noble features of the musician's face, and front reveling in the sensual curves of her sweetheart's body, she thought she was going to cry in happiness. "Chikane-chan..." she called, voice full of emotions summoned from the very bottom of her heart. "Chikane-chan... Chikane-chan..." Every utter of the melodious name pushed back her drowsiness a little bit further, allowing her to appreciate the physical intimacy with a little more clarity and filling her existence with bliss.

"I take it that you missed me?" Her lover chuckled fondly. A pair of moist, soft lips descended on her forehead, kissing her, caressing her. A slender hand took off her ivy hat, set it aside, and brushed her shoulder-length golden hair with its combing motions.

"I did," she confessed.

"How much?" The lips traveled south, consecrating the tip of her nose with their loving pecks.

"A lot," she confirmed, wishing her sweetheart would hurry and claim her lips. She wanted it. She needed it. She could not wait for much longer. "I felt so guilty to your mom for saying this... but it was a torture."

"Then... let me make it up for you, ne?" Chikane-chan's mouth engulfed hers.

Eyes closed, vision filled by a comfortable darkness, heart pounding madly in her chest, she kissed her beautiful girlfriend back. The taller girl probably meant it as a gesture of comfort, and perhaps a compensation like she had said, but Himeko soon realized that neither of them could stop the other, or her own self for that matter, from deepening the meeting of lips and being drawn helplessly into increasingly passionate kisses.

Himeko let go of herself.

Arms tightened to intensify the physical contact of their heaving fronts. Hands roamed over fully clothed backs to elicit soft, satisfied cries smothered as soon as they were strummed off the vocal cords. Bodies rolled and turned across the bed, appreciating the softness below when they were on top and welcoming the gentle pressure when they were at the bottom, aching for the removal of the fabrics standing between their naked skins. Lips quietly pulled, nibbled, nuzzled, and pressed together, exchanging softness and sweetness in deep kisses that curled toes and condensed blood into wine. Tongues occasionally left the confinement of mouths, writhing and entwining together in a dance no less alluring or passionate.

"Himeko..." the princess called. "My parents are downstairs... They can hear us... Don't..."

Kurusugawa Himeko gave a start. She was lying atop her girlfriend, her lips seeking the pulse on the latter's throat, her right hand enfolding her lover's left breast, her mind unraveling at its perfectly round and firm qualities, and her palm relishing the delicious stiffness of an aroused rosebud crowning the ample orb of flesh and announcing its highly aroused state beneath her snowy gown. Her left hand was between Chikane-chan's thighs, stroking her most sensitive region and trying to feel the velvet blossom through the satin fabric. Her breaths were ragged from the kisses, her cheeks flushed by the amorous encounters of lips and tongues and hands, her sapphire eyes filled with unspoken regret.

"I'm sorry," she apologized hurriedly and climbed off her sweetheart. "I... I..."

Her lover shushed her by placing a gentle forefinger across her lips. "You need not explain," she whispered. "I know, Himeko. I know." She kissed her eyelids and pulled her closer, offering more of her body heat and the softness of her chest. "Be patient," the princess continued in a soothing voice. "They will be leaving soon for the Himemiya's annual gathering. They are going to sleep over there and head straight to the airport tomorrow morning. Only we will be left in this summer house for the night. Will you wait for me until then, my lovely angel?" Sapphire eyes gazed into her amethyst meaningfully.

Blushing within an inch of her life at what her girlfriend just promised her indirectly, she nodded.

"Good girl." The moonlight of her world stroked her head. "Say, what did you and my Mother talk about during her shopping spree?" Melodious laughter echoed in the room.

After the delicious meal at the Ichihana Diner, the resplendent Himemiya Sanae had asked Himeko to accompany her to the clothing stores in the Plaza owned by the Himemiya themselves. Although the kind lady had claimed that she only wished for a companion who could offer opinions and advice on women's clothes, Himeko knew that Sanae had actually intended to resume the Q&A session that had been interrupted by the arrival of the food.

She was right.

 _"Would you mind if I address you by your given name, Kurusugawa-san?" Kurusugawa Himeko's beautiful companion requested. They were treading along a wide hallway on either side of which store lined up after store, showing off their goods in their windows while cunningly hiding the price tags in an attempt to lure the mall-goers inside and entrap them with flowery talks. As expected, Himemiya Sanae paid them no attention. The middle-aged woman, in fact, seemed much more interested in learning more about Himeko. She did not know whether she should be honored or afraid by that._

 _"No, Sanae-san," she answered, thinking to herself that if her beloved Chikane-chan was a princess, her mom would be a queen. Actually, she was so queenly in the manner she carried herself that the other people coming from the opposite direction moved out of the way, allowing her easy passage. She was impressive._

 _"Well then, Himeko," Sanae murmured gratefully, "have you given it much thought about your and Chikane's future?"_

 _"What do you mean, ma'am?"_

 _"As a musician, Chikane rarely stays in one place for long," the older woman explained. "Were you to become her lover," a meaningful smile graced her lips, conjuring the flames on Himeko's face, "you either would have to be parted with her often or travel the world with her. It is a difficult choice, of course. Should you stay here, you could finish your education and pursue your own career at the price of not being able to see her. Should you go with her, you would have to forsake all you have worked so hard for. Which do you choose?"_

 _Silence ensued as Himeko pondered the question in her head. Sanae did not press her. The elegant queen allowed her all the time she needed._

 _"I would stay here to finish my education first, Sanae-san," she answered after a while. "It's going to take a couple more years... and it's going to be difficult for me to live without Chikane-chan by my side... but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. Without an education, I'm just a burden on her shoulders, and I don't want that."_

 _"And what are you going to do after you graduated?" the legal adviser inquired, her tone tinted with amusement._

 _"I'm going wherever Chikane-chan goes," she said timidly. "I aspire to be a photographer, so it's very easy on my part. I'm sure other countries in the world will be beautiful enough for my material. And if they aren't," she chuckled at the thought, "I may have to make a career out of taking Chikane-chan's pictures."_

 _Sanae laughed softly. "Very good." She nodded. "Now, let me see, the place Chikane visited most frequently is Paris. It is an amazing city. I am sure you will love it. Say, have you ever come to France?"_

 _Himeko shook her head ruefully. "I don't have the money to afford a trip, Sanae-san. My financial situation didn't allow me to set foot outside of Mahoroba... so I didn't."_

 _She was sure she had said something wrong, for Himemiya Sanae pulled her to an abrupt halt. Slowly, the older woman turned to face her and peered at her as though looking at an extinct creature. She swallowed nervously._

 _"You_ never _left Mahoroba before," Sanae repeated quietly. "Chikane, on the other hand, never visited it before. Tell me, child, when and where did you first meet her?"_

 _Fear crushed her heart._ Gods... why did I have to say that? _she berated herself fiercely._

 _"I..." she answered weakly, "I met her yesterday. She saved me when I fainted on the street." A shadow stole across the legal adviser's face. Panicking, Himeko hurried on, "Please believe me, Sanae-san! I... I fell in love with Chikane-chan the first time I met her. I know it might sound unbelievable, but it's the truth! I didn't mean to keep it from you. I just... didn't have a chance to tell you about it. Please believe me!" She considered falling onto her knees and begged for forgiveness._

 _She didn't have to._

 _"I trust you," the queen said with an indulgent smile. "No need to be so anxious. I understand."_

 _"Really, ma'am?" Himeko stared at her regal companion._

 _"Yes, my lovely child." Sanae chuckled behind a raised hand, tension no longer present on her face. "I am not too unfamiliar with love at first sight. I will let you in on a little secret, Himeko." She bent down and whispered into Himeko's ears, "It was like that between me and Chikane's father, too." She straightened up, smiling more broadly than ever._

 _Himeko heaved a sigh of relief. Gods, but she was scared._

 _"You know what, Himeko," Sanae continued. "I do not care what stance my husband assumed over your and Chikane's relationship, but I fully approve it."_

 _Her obsidian eyes twinkled. Himeko's amethyst went wide. Her breath caught. She couldn't believe what she was hearing._

 _"I will be honest," Sanae continued, "I really like you, child, and I admire your honesty. Believe me when I say that it will be a great joy for me and Chikane at least to welcome you into the Himemiya Clan." The older woman's hand gently descended on her shoulder. "Seeing how you have only known my daughter for more than a day, it is rather outrageously early for me to say this but... I can hardly wait for the day you and Chikane get married." A dreamy glow encompassed her beautiful face as her kind obsidian eyes dawned on Himeko. They were full of genuine affections. The sincerity in her words squeezed Himeko's heart. "I have always wanted a daughter as sweet as you, you see."_

 _Moisture gathered in her eyes and eventually became hot, round teardrops rolling down her cheeks. She began to sob uncontrollably. It was the older woman's turn to panic._

 _"I am sorry, child," she said hurriedly. "Did I say something bad? Please, don't cry!"_

"And how did she calm you down?" Himeko's lover asked, amused.

"Well, it took her a bit of time and effort," she answered, slightly embarrassed at having cried like a baby in public. "She took me into an ice cream store and bought me a huge strawberry sundae." She laughed softly at the recollection, and added, "It was really good."

"No wonder why your lips are so sweet," the moonlight of her world murmured and moved in to offer her a light kiss on her lips, making her blush furiously. Chikane-chan grinned, seemingly pleased by her reaction. "What happened next?"

"We talked a little bit while I was eating," she replied. "Afterwards, we left and she took me shopping for real. When we were about to head back to the restaurant... she..."

"She what?" the princess inquired curiously.

"She asked me for a favor," Himeko mumbled almost inaudibly. "She... asked if I could call her... _'Mom'_ once. I... did... so she hugged me and kissed me... on the cheek. She looked really happy."

"That means she likes you," her beloved girlfriend observed, smiling sweetly.

"I know," she agreed. "But more than anything, I'm glad that she wasn't angry we didn't tell her we met yesterday."

"About that... Himeko..." The beautiful musician bit her playfully on the nose. It made her coo and giggle quietly in response. "How did you know about my picky eating habits? I did not recall telling you that last night." The corners of her lovely mouth twitched.

Blood raced to Himeko's cheeks. If she remembered correctly, they didn't talk about anything the previous night. After all, they were too occupied with their quest to learn the secrets of one another's body. After all, what they exchanged during all the time they spent in bed were unending cries of pleasures and perpetual bliss. The memories of their reckless abandon reignited the powerful flames of desires beneath Himeko's skin and urged her once again to try removing the confining clothing articles that kept her away from directly touching her sweetheart.

"How about you, Chikane-chan?" she asked, trying to dispel her indecent thoughts. Her hands came up to place on either side of her sweetheart's face, indulging in the silkiness of her skin and the tenderness of her flesh. She was rewarded with a loving smile and another kiss on her lips. "How did you know I loathed shiitake mushroom?"

Chikane-chan gazed at her thoughtfully. After a while, she said, "I honestly do not know. It was just there... in my head. I have no idea where it came from."

"It's the same with me," Himeko murmured into the crook of her lover's neck. "But I'm glad it's there. At the very least, I won't be cooking anything you hate in the future."

"Even if you do," the taller girl whispered, "I will still eat them, I promise."

Himeko chuckled. "You're sweet, Chikane-chan." A huge yawn, quite untimely, almost unhinged her jaw. She sighed, knowing that the lack of sleep as well as the long walk she took with Himemiya Sanae had taken its toll on her again. Her sleepiness had returned to haunt her whole. She wished it would go away and leave her alone to spend some quiet time with the girl she loved.

"Rest, Himeko," her girlfriend advised. "You must be tired."

"I don't want to," she insisted desperately, clinging to her beloved more strongly than ever. Her arms tied themselves around the beautiful musician's body, pulling her closer in the fear that she was going to leave. "I want to talk with you some more, Chikane-chan."

"Regarding what, my little angel?" Her voice took on an interested tone.

"Anything about yourself," Himeko answered, her mouth finding her lover's in passionate kisses that fully portrayed her intensity and her sincerity. She brought a wonderful smile to the other girl's lips. "There's still so much about you that I don't know. The nineteen years you spent without me... I want to learn them all. Like how you grew up, the friends you made. I want to know about the happiest day in your life, and your saddest moment, too."

"Yesterday was the happiest day in my life," her sweetheart answered without hesitation as she hugged her more tightly than ever, her voice a stream of musical notes gently pouring into Himeko's ears, "because it was when I met and fell in love with you. The saddest moment was earlier this morning, when I had to leave you by yourself on the bed." She kissed her deeply, stealing her breaths and energizing her heart to an overly excited drum. "Does that answer your questions?"

Himeko blushed, her mouth aching for more kisses. "You sure know how to say things a girl likes to hear."

"It is the truth," the moonlight of her world assured her, smiling. "For the rest, though, how about you be a good girl and take a quick nap? I will tell you all you wish to know later, promise."

"But..."

"Did you enjoy last night with me, Himeko?"

 _More than anything._ She blushed harder at the thought. A shy, hesitant nod from her answered the girl she loved. Her mind began to replay the images of the wonderful encounter they had undergone less than twenty-four hours ago. Her skin started to remember the silky texture of that of the beautiful musician, her flesh yearning for the loving caresses. She thought the heat that rose from every possible region of her body, some more than others, was going to cook her brain alive.

"So did I," her girlfriend whispered. "And I am looking forward to tonight, too. I cannot wait to touch you more, to feel you without the hindrance of your clothes, and to love you with everything I have." Every word added a little more oil to the flame that was threatening to incinerate Himeko's innards. She didn't know before what kind of effects bed talks would have on her. She did now... and she believed she liked it... a lot. "But if you insist on staying awake now..." sapphire eyes, strong yet frighteningly gentle regarded her almost mischievously, "you will be too tired and sleepy to... last the night with me, do you not think so?"

Another shy nod. A great rise in body temperature. A powerful tingle within her depth.

"So," the blue-haired princess smiled, "will you listen to what your girlfriend ask of you?"

A third nod, much firmer and far more eager than the first two. _Where does she learn to persuade people like this anyway?_

"Good girl," Chikane-chan murmured, pleased. "Sleep well, my first love." She kissed her eyelids. The gentle pressure and the moistness lingered, still, even when she had drawn her lips away. "When you wake, we will go down to the beach and watch the sunset, ne?"

"I'd love to, Chikane-chan..." Himeko whispered. Now she wished her slumber would come and take her away just so she could wake up sooner. "But promise me one thing, please?"

"Anything."

"Be here when I wake?" Words couldn't describe the nerve-unraveling terror she had been struck with this morning, when she opened her eyes and realized she was all alone on the bed. She had feared that everything was just a fond dream. She had been very afraid that she was once again back to the wait for the person whose presence would fill her heart. She did not wish to experience that again.

"I will always be next to you when you wake," her sweetheart told her as she moved in once again. "Forever and ever. I love you so, Himeko" The words, the sweetness of her first love's mouth, and the hand that gently stroked her head quickly obliterated the last resistance Himeko had put up. Darkness claimed her.

* * *

Occupying one of the couches in the living room, Himemiya Aoki fumed in silence and not quite in secret. On another couch opposite his, his wife occasionally would study him over the fashion magazine in her hands and smile in a way that did not really alleviate his mood. He fumed harder. Instead of siding with him like always – like she was _supposed_ to! – she had openly thrown her support behind Chikane and Kurusugawa Himeko despite knowing full well what his position was on the issue. Well, sure, Sanae never said so right out... but her facial expressions and her tone told him everything he needed to know. He did not doubt for a second that she had already accepted the golden-haired girl as a daughter-in-law. He also suspected that she already had the wedding planned out to the minutest detail. For all he knew, he might wake up tomorrow morning and found Kurusugawa Himeko married to his daughter and calling his wife "Mom."

He had been so irritated that he had not spoken a word to his daughter during the couple of hours they were sitting in the Ichihana Diner and waiting for Sanae and Kurusugawa to come back. Chikane had not paid much attention to him. She simply sat on her seat and read some magazines while sipping her cappuccino. Her unflappable attitude poured oil into the flames burning at the pit of his stomach. He was well aware of why she was so calm. Chikane knew he had no say whatsoever in her personal love life, and that his opinion mattered even less now that her mother had implicitly given her stamp of approval. It was a parent's eternal dilemma. He had absolutely no leverage with her now that she had moved out on her own and made enough money a week to support herself for one whole year. She needed not his financial aid to survive, and she knew it.

Heat suffused his brain, threatened to cook it. He pondered getting into the bathroom and taking a cold shower to douse his murderous mood. For pity's sake, this was the first time in his life where he encountered a situation he could not win. How could he, when his daughter and wife had teamed up against him? For the sake of a stranger, no less!

In the very beginning, when Sanae told him she wanted to introduce Renna Akemi to Chikane, he already made it obvious that he disliked the idea. His concession to his wife in the end, however, did not mean he had been persuaded. It was the opposite. He simply stopped arguing because he knew the musician would never agree anyway. The daughter of the Renna and his precious princess were too similar in personality, as he saw it. Two magnets of the same pole would repel, not attract. Of course, he never had the slightest idea that his daughter had already fallen in love with another _girl!_

Gritting his teeth, Himemiya Aoki rose from the couch. Footsteps falling softly on the staircase behind him, making him turn his head and look. His genius of a daughter was descending down the steps in her snowy gown, formal yet sensual at the same time as it showed off her natural charms in quite an elegant manner, her right hand holding the top-of-the-line Motorola Shinken against her cheek.

"Good afternoon, Murasaki-san," she spoke into the wireless device in a kind, warm voice she reserved for close friends and associates. "How are you today? Getting wealthier by the minute, I hope?" She chuckled in amusement. "I am well, thank you. I am sorry to bother you during a weekend, but I do need your help. I am in Mahoroba right now, and if I remember correctly, your company does have its own branch here. Not one, but two?" The chuckle grew into crystalline laughter as she crossed the living room and stepped outside to the vast back garden. "You _are_ getting wealthier. In any case, though, would you kindly refer me to one of your talented agents? Why? Well, you see, there are a few things I want them to find out for me..." Her voice drifted off into an indistinct murmur.

 _Murasaki?_ Aoki thought. _Murasaki Kyouko, the C.E.O. of the company in Tokyo that mainly deals in...?_ His eyes went wide. His jaw dropped. _Goodness gracious!_ Shocked, he glanced sideways at his wife, and was quite relief to see that surprise, too, was unfolding on her face. A second later, he noticed the full blush staining her cheeks, which told him that what she was thinking in that head of hers had nothing to do with what was going on in his.

"So quickly...?" she murmured, seemingly to herself. "But I thought they were going to..." She clammed up and shook her head vigorously as though trying to clear her mind. She knuckled herself on the forehead. "Silly me."

 _What the heck is she mumbling about?_ He frowned at his faithful companion, perplexed.

"Ah, okay," Chikane murmured as she stepped back inside, sounding quite pleased. "I will get in touch with him soon. Yes, yes, I already have his phone numbers voice-recorded into my phone. Thank you very much, and sorry for all the trouble. Have a good weekend, Murasaki-san." She hung up.

"Where is Himeko?" Sanae asked, her face still a little flushed for whatever reason.

 _On a given name basis already?_ Aoki could not help but make a vexed sound in his throat. Things were progressing too quickly, and he did not like it one bit.

"She is sleeping upstairs, Mother," the musician answered, exchanging fond looks with Sanae.

"The air conditioner in that room is a little bit strong sometimes," the older woman said, voice oddly full of concerns. "Did you put a blanket over her? She seems a bit fragile to me. I would not want her to get sick."

"I did," Chikane confirmed, smiling.

Aoki cringed in dismay. Unable to control his tongue, he let it flap, "Sleeping in the middle of the day?" He managed to insinuate some ounces of disapproval into his words. "Only the lazy would do such a thing." The way Sanae's and Chikane's eyes, sapphire and obsidian stronger than steel and sharper than a butcher's knife, swiveled to meet his at the exact same moment made him wish he had kept quiet. His mouth tightened.

"Mother exhausted her with her shopping spree, Father," the blue-haired girl said softly, winking playfully at a chuckling Himemiya Sanae. "Besides, she stayed up very late last night. She needs sleep." The older woman colored slightly. The younger looked like she wanted to laugh. Sensing that it was not a conversation he wanted to rush blindly into, he clamped his mouth shut and searched for a way to criticize Kurusugawa Himeko without actually showing his true intentions to the other two members of his family.

He did not have a chance.

Standing behind the couch, Chikane suggested, "Have a seat, Father, please?"

Giving her a suspicious look, he did as she wished. As soon as his bottom touched the comfortable couch, though, he felt her hands on his shoulders.

"Mother often told me on the phone that you tended to overwork yourself lately," she murmured sweetly. "Is that true?" His daughter, strong and distant as she was, often conversed with him with tones suitable for a friend she loved and respect. Rarely had she acted affectionate toward him. Seldom had she behaved like a good daughter. Like this.

"Well, kinda." Aoki scratched his cheek, sensing his mind going blank all of a sudden. Now what was he pondering before the girl laid her hands on him? "Kyou and Kimika have expanded the corporation's business oversea, so it fell to me to make sure that everything worked." His voice took on a proud tone. It was not busy being the Chief Operation Officer of Himemiya International. It was even less so when he had to make a hundred phone calls a day, ensuring that the mechanisms of the Empire were functioning as they should. "Thankfully, problems have yet to pop up and bother me."

"Not getting much rest as a result, I suppose?" Chikane ventured.

"Not really," he agreed. He got as much as four or five hours of sleep a night, and that was it.

"No wonder why your shoulders are so stiff, Father," she observed. Then her hands began to dance on the pressure points of his shoulders and occasionally thumping him gently there with her tiny fists, relieving the pressure that had been exerted on it by his inhuman work schedule. He thought he wanted to cry. Sometimes he thought that she was more like a boy than a girl the way she refused to show him the affection and the closeness due a father. He did not know why she decided to do it differently now, but he certainly thanked the Gods of Heaven for it. Eyes closed, he reclined against the couch and enjoyed the massage his favorite daughter – he was sure that even if he and Sanae would have a second, she was still his favorite – was applying on his shoulder. Ever so often his ears would pick up some chortles from across the table and his eyes would open to catch the sight of a bemused Himemiya Sanae, who had put down her magazine and was studying him with open interest. He gave her a look meant to tell her to stop being jealous, seeing how Chikane was normally closer to her than to him. She ignored it.

"So, Father," the musician murmured, "what do you think about Himeko?"

Guilt stabbed him. He would like to speak his mind... but at the same time, he did not want to make his daughter feel bad.

"She is... nice, I guess," he spoke finally.

"Do you not like her?"

"Well..." His voice trailed off. One voice in the back of his head was urging him to spill the truth so that he would not sadden Chikane. Another was advising that doing so would crush his hopes. He decided to put off making a decision for a while. "What do you like about her anyway?"

"Everything," his daughter answered simply, her hands not slowing on his relaxed shoulders. It felt good. "She does have her shortcomings, I know. But I do, too. She accepts my flaws like I do hers because she knows it is imperfections that define one's character. Besides, I think her being innocent to a fault and her difficulty in expressing her thoughts are very adorable." She laughed. "Is she not the cutest and sweetest girl you have ever seen, Father?"

He fell silent. It was not an exaggeration. It was understandable that Sanae, with her soft heart and gentle personality, would develop a fondness for Kurusugawa Himeko. Aoki, too, realized that the Photography Major was probably the best thing that had happened to Chikane during the first nineteen year of her romance-less life. Honest and devoted to his prodigious daughter as she was, she would do anything in her ability to bring her lover happiness. He rather liked and admired the golden-haired girl for that... but he was convinced Chikane could find someone better. There had to be a way to fulfill her wish _and_ his at the same time.

"I know why you are _forcing_ yourself to dislike Himeko, Father." Chikane wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him from behind. He thought he was going to melt into a puddle.

"Do you?" he asked quietly, uneasy now that her arrow had just struck home.

"Yes. I have always known you want me to be married to a decent man. You want a son-in-law to take the place of a son you never have, right?"

Aoki cleared his throat, sensing his face warming. Across the table, on an opposite couch, Sanae was mouthing something wordlessly. He could read her lips. _Bingo._ The word slapped him on the face, stinging him in the heart. Embarrassment and guilt coursed along his veins. He had always wished for a male child. The only reason he did not have one was because he knew his work schedule would never allow him to care for him properly. It was already difficult enough trying to wrestle with his job and raising his genius daughter. He did not want to go through that ordeal one more time.

"I know you as much as you do yourself, Father," the musician continued. "I have seen you sitting alone in the living room and sighing when you watch a baseball game. I have also noticed how jealous you seemed when Kyou-Oji-sama and Kimika-Oba-sama brought their one-year-old son to visit us in Tokyo."

Aoki scratched his cheek again. Gods, but he thought she was clueless about his feelings. What she said was entirely true. There were times he wished he had a son to talk to about exciting baseball games while sipping on a glass of fine beer, to take out for a fishing session in one of the Himemiya's private resorts, or just to hang out and have father-to-son conversations, which he craved like a child would candies. That was why... he wanted her daughter married to a nice guy _he_ chose to give him the joy he never had. He admitted that it was a very selfish way of thinking... but he could not help it. All his life, he had wanted it. He deserved it, did he not?

"I am sorry I could not fulfill your expectations," apologized Chikane. "But I cannot control who I fall in love with. I hope you will understand that Himeko is my life, my world, and my everything. I will be very unhappy if I cannot be with her. Do you want me to be unhappy, Father?"

"Of course not!" he denied vehemently. Now he felt really bad. Now he wished she had tried bully tactics with him instead of appealing to him in such a sincere manner. He sensed his heart soften, his soul melt.

"Then are you still opposing my love for her?"

Silence ensued. He realized then that he was trying to fight a battle he could not win. When his daughter had put it this way, he did not have even a remotest excuse to refuse her. He caved in.

"I... am not," he said in resignation.

"You do not sound like you mean it," Chikane pointed out.

"It is difficult for me too!" he exclaimed. "It takes time! Cut me some slack, daughter!"

"Why don't you think about it this way, Father?" his blue-haired princess suggested. "You know my girlfriend is a Photography Major, right?"

"Yes... What about it?" He swallowed nervously.

"Did you not have a passion for the same subject when you were young?" Chikane laughed softly. "Do you think I did not notice all the pictures in your study, all of which were framed in glass and bearing your signature? Do you think I did not see the trophies you won because of quite a few of these? Do you think I did not catch you at least once polishing your camera? You love it, Father. Denying would do you no good."

"You caught me there," he said ruefully. His wife laughed aloud. He did not bother telling her to keep quiet.

"Will you be honest with me, Father? Tell me please. Do you not like Himeko?"

 _Back to square one, are we not?_ "I do," he admitted reluctantly. Kurusugawa was a good girl, a caring girlfriend, and a hardworking person. What was there _not_ to like about her?

"Then do you not think you can have a wonderful time teaching her the arts of the camera?" the girl murmured. "You two can go places together, have fun, take pictures, and show them off to me and Mother when you come back home. I bet Himeko would love to hang out with you and learn from you, Father. Do you not think you will enjoy her company?"

"I do," he answered, his mood brightening fast. Photography was one of his greatest hobbies, only abandoned in the recent years because of the tedious work he had to do for the sake of the Empire. That was why he had been quite depressed when neither his wife nor his only daughter shared his interest. But now, if he could have Kurusugawa Himeko for a daughter-in-law, he could teach her all he knew, hopefully grooming her to be one of the very best. His heart picked up its pace as he began to imagine all the fun conversations he would have with the girl, all the great sceneries he could tutor her to capture with the lens of her camera, and all the fun he could have. It was not a bad idea at all. A smile involuntarily crossed his lips. Not a bad idea at all.

"Happy, are you not, dear?" Himemiya Sanae commented with a smile on her own lips.

He cleared his throat and wiped what he was sure to be a stupid grin off his face.

"In any event," he said, trying to regain his frozen dignity, "would you invite your girlfriend to breakfast with me and your mother tomorrow, Chikane?" No point asking the two to join them in the Himemiya banquet later tonight. The musician was anti-social at her best, and he doubted she would prefer hanging out with her relatives, whom she claimed to be boring, to spending time with her significant other. He was like that too, when he first dated the woman who was now his beloved wife.

"I am sure she will appreciate it." His precious daughter untied her arms from his neck. "Well, I have to go, so will you excuse me, Mother, Father?"

"Where to?" He blinked, surprised.

"Second floor," she answered, forefinger pointing up. "Himeko panics when she wakes without me next to her, so I better not let her. Is she not adorable?" She chuckled and hurried back up the steps. In a few seconds, she vanished.

"You are a hopeless father, dear," Sanae declared, laughing behind a raised hand. "She had you suckered so badly."

 _Gods, but she is right,_ he thought in distress, realizing for the first time the devious tactics his daughter had employed on him. The terribly cunning musician had softened him with her daughterly affections, whether heartfelt or not he could not and did not want to speculate, appealed to him using sweet words, tried to make him feel guilty, and finally exploited his weakness for photography when he had his guard down. In the end, when she had achieved her purpose, she left him by himself again. _Dear Heaven, but she is just as underhanded as I when I was young!_

Himemiya Aoki did not know whether he should be proud or furious.


	4. Shizuka

**_CHAPTER FOUR: SHIZUKA._**

* * *

"Himeko..." Himemiya Chikane lifted a hand and tugged playfully at a few strands of her first love's lustrous golden hair, fine threads of liquid sunlight being brushed adoringly by the ocean breezes carrying the salty smell and flavor of the sea and harrying the waves landward, where they crashed merrily and endlessly one after another upon the private beach of the Himemiya. Sitting atop the white sand with her legs stretched comfortably in front of her was the little angel in the same clothes she had been wearing since the morning, her amethyst eyes gazing straight ahead at the enflamed horizon, where half of a blood red sun had already gone under the vast and uneven water surface.

Her head resting upon the utterly comfortable lap of the Photography Major and back straight atop the dry sands, Chikane was dressed significantly less. All she had on her at the moment was a coral-pink bikini top that kept most of her bosom decently covered, a white shirt with buttons left undone and hem tied into a neat knot over her toned and slightly muscled abdomen, revealing a fair amount of skin of her body through its gaping front and quite translucent fabrics, and finally a pair of jeans-shorts that left most of her firm thighs and legs to the mercy of the cool air and the dwindling light of the sunset.

Her lover had blushed furiously seeing her in this rather revealing outfit, but she could tell that the girl enjoyed watching. She herself had felt a gush of delight and even mild shyness – she believed she also colored slightly, which had not happened for quite a while – as the sunlight of her world sat on the mattress in the bedroom and admired her from head to toes with an amethyst gaze filled with awe and love.

 _"You're so pretty, Chikane-chan,"_ her sweetheart had intimated, voice mirroring the emotions in her eyes. Strangely proud of herself and awfully conscious of the fact that the love of her life was studying her flimsily clad body so openly, she had settled down next to the golden-haired girl on the bed. There, she put an arm around her and claimed her lips. It was meant to be a thank-you gesture for the flattering compliment. It was swiftly blown into a passionate make-out session in which hands roamed free over each other's sensitive and heated regions. Eventually, Chikane decided that they needed to get out of the room before the dim and almost lightless atmosphere, saturated to the brim with heartfelt desires as well as innocent seductions, completely melted down her restraints. The disappointment that had flashed across Himeko's lovely face was most endearing.

"Himeko," Chikane called again, noting that her cute girlfriend had not heard. Mouth twitching into a smile, her hands converged on the hollows of the little angel's hourglass waist and tickled her.

She gave a start and burst into laughter. The musical notes she made with her vocal cords could have been struck from the strings of the grand piano. Somehow, they blended with the tunes of the waves, rolling and crashing and receding, as well as the chorus of the winds, cradling the twilight-tinted clouds across the heavens and carrying the cawing seagulls wherever they wanted to be, into a perfect symphony.

"What's that for?" she chided playfully. Amethyst eyes focused on Chikane's face, searing the little space in-between with the amazing flames of her love. Cherry petal lips blossomed into a fond smile, radiating sweetness like a real flower at the prime of its life would its fragrance.

"For ignoring your lovesick girlfriend when she was calling you," Chikane answered breathlessly, becoming drunk just from the sight of her wingless angel. Gods above standing witness, she could never get enough of watching the girl she loved.

"I'm sorry." Himeko bent down and kissed her. Dazed, Chikane laid a hand gently on the back of the golden-haired girl's head and applied just enough pressure to let the latter know that she did not want their lips to part so soon. The message got through. For a couple of minutes the kiss lingered, allowing her to savor the sweetness and indulge the moistness of her lover's mouth, giving up her ragged breaths as well as occasional whimpers. Face flushed with delight, Himeko offered her a smile bright as a day in spring when they pulled apart.

"Why are you so spaced out?" Chikane inquired, amazed at how such a simple gesture like a kiss could have her so overjoyed while the most expensive presents one could think of always failed to invoke from her the smallest tinge of happiness.

"Well," her beloved hesitated. "Remember what happened when we went down to the living room?"

"Nothing came to mind," she answered, smiling a little ruefully. How would one expect her mind to register anything when she was accompanied by a girl this cute? "Why?"

"Um... your dad... he smiled to me and asked me if I slept well..."

"And what is so disturbing about that?" She chuckled.

"I was sure that he disliked me," the other girl confessed. "Didn't you see how he looked at me during lunch?" She shivered. "He was _so_ scary then. But now..." She trailed off. Her thin and delicate eyebrows furrowed together in confusion.

"You must have misunderstood," Chikane murmured, her sapphire gaze directed upward, past the gently rising and falling chest, wonderfully cute and curvy despite its moderate size, and locked with her sweetheart's amethyst. "I am sure my Father adores you." For the conniving and ruthless businessman that he was at work, Himemiya Aoki's heart was younger than his baby face. Dealing with him was simple.

"I'll be very glad if he does," Himeko said, blushing.

"You are thinking too much." Chikane lifted a hand up to the little angel's face and teasingly pinched her cheek. "No one in this world could dislike you," she cupped Himeko's chin gently and slowly drew her down for another deep kiss, "my love," she whispered into her girlfriend's ear afterwards.

"I can think of one." The sunlight of her world placed a very soft, slender hand upon her cheek and caressed it lovingly. Her vacant one raked through Chikane's flowing blue hair, occasionally bringing a handful to the Photography Major's face, where she simply held those long shiny strands against her nose and lips. "Renna-san must be very angry with me right now. After all, I did something horrible to her yesterday, didn't I...?"

"You did nothing wrong," Chikane pointed out. "Besides, she loves you very much. I doubt she can get mad at you for _any_ reason." Spots of color marred her angel's cheeks. "It is _I_ she is angry with. I should know. She and I had a long conversation back in the Ichihana Diner, remember?"

"What did the two of you talk about?" Himeko asked curiously.

"She warned me to leave you alone." Chikane winked. "She did not believe I am in love with you. She was afraid I was just playing with your innocent heart. I think she told me that partly because she was jealous... but it was clear at day to me that she was more concerned for your sake." Of course, Renna Akemi's sentences were not that kindly phrased. Her distant cousin had been heated to the point of outrage. The anger each of her words contained was enough to boil eggs.

"She's a very nice and caring person," the adorable girl on whose lap Chikane was resting her head murmured in gratitude.

"She is," she agreed. "That is why I felt sorry for her."

"Did something bad happen?" Himeko asked apprehensively.

"I would not say _'bad'_. She did all of the talking and I listening. In the end, she left."

In truth, the conversation between her and the daughter to the Mayor had been nowhere near as peaceful. Each of the words catapulted from Renna Akemi's mouth was imbued with the force of a war hammer and the sharpness of a butcher's knife. Half way through her furious tirade, her inner turmoil swallowed up the better of her. Her sentences started to jumble up, and she choked on her own words more than once. In the end, she became too overcome with emotions – she looked like a time bomb a second prior to the explosion – and ran off. Her behaviors were rather surprising, seeing how Himemiya Sanae often described the girl as someone strong and unflappable. Maybe Chikane's Mother was wrong this time.

"It's going to be awkward seeing her in my dance class from now on." The golden-haired girl scratched her magnificent head.

"It cannot be helped," Chikane comforted. "But at least I will be there for you when you come home," she whispered, her voice dropping to a low, alluring caress that she had employed last night, right before she and Himeko fell onto the bed and made love again and again until physical exertion forced them to stop and pulled them into the land of the sensual dreams. "You can always find solace in my arms, my little puppy." The effect was immediate. The adorable Photography Major, probably trying to fight the memories of their amorous excursions, reddened within an inch of her life. Heat rolled off of her in waves. They were pleasant. They were most arousing.

"What kind of solace?" she asked shyly. The hand she had placed on Chikane's face was hot.

"The kind that..." she rolled onto her side and shifted her body inward so that her face ended up an inch away from her first love's tee-shirt-clad abdomen and her left cheek rested atop the place were the golden-haired girl's thighs joined her lower torso, "may require you to wear less than this." She was extremely conscious of the strong, billowing heat the coarse fabrics of the jeans had failed to conceal. She was acutely aware of a faint but sweet scent invading the air she breathed. It was more intoxicating than the smell of the strongest wine.

"You said the strangest things sometimes, Chikane-chan..." chided the little angel's musical voice. It was soaked in embarrassment. It has no sting.

Chuckling softly at her lover's bashfulness, Chikane closed her eyes and lay still with her head on the former's lap, allowing herself to indulge in the blessed present and permitting her ears to drink in all the sounds played by the scenic nature surrounding her and the girl she loved. She cooed softly in contentment, too, when she felt a hand stroking her head and another clasping tightly with one of hers. It lifted her hand up to meet a pair of soft lips. There, the sunlit angel took Chikane's fingertips into her mouth one of a time, kissing them briefly, licking them gently, sucking on them seductively, and occasionally biting on them lightly enough to inject an overdose of pleasure into her veins without causing any pain. The warmth of her girlfriend's mouth and the moistness of her tongue promised to send her over the edge.

A cell phone just had to interrupt her blissful moment by its irritating rings.

Giving her a rueful look, her girlfriend took out a small wireless from a pocket, flipped it open, and murmured a slightly exasperated "Hello."

Odd, Chikane decided, frowning. I do not recall that she has a cell phone.

"Yo," Saotome Makoto's voice rang merrily from the speaker.

"Oh, hi, Mako-chan!" the wingless angel greeted her best friend warmly.

"Don't you _'Oh, hi, Mako-chan!'_ me!" Even though her voice was crackling due to poor reception in this area, the mischievousness in her tone could not fail to be heard. "Have you any idea how long I waited for you in the Court? Why did you ask me to drive you home and then vanish without a trace?"

Himeko's face paled. "I'm sorry! I forgot! I left with Chikane-chan through the backdoor so..." Her voice was racked with guilt.

Laughter rang through the wireless device. "Hey, don't sweat it. I'm just pulling your legs."

"You were?" The Photography Major blinked.

"Of course," Saotome's voice declared. "As soon as I saw your girlfriend's poster in the Reception Hall, I already knew that there was no need for me to stay. I left as soon as you went in, in fact."

"I see..." Himeko's voice trailed off. A scarlet color spread across her lovely face.

"You know, even though it's important that I call you and let you know what was going on, I was pondering whether I _should_ at all," said her former roommate.

"Why?" she asked curiously.

"Because you might be in bed and too _engrossed_ with your precious Chikane-chan to pick up the phone." Chikane could not see the auburn-haired girl through the wireless, but she knew the latter was grinning. "Hey, for all I know, you might have already turned it off to avoid distraction!"

 _"Mako-chan!"_ her first love exclaimed. There was no indignation. There were just shyness and deathly embarrassment. Even louder laughter answered her.

Assaulted by wave after wave of amusement, Chikane moved closer to her sweetheart, the frictions she caused atop the latter's lap elicited from her a soft gasp and spread a light tremor across her curvaceous frame. Smiling now, Chikane took hold of Himeko's red tee-shirt on her waists and pulled it out from beneath her faded jeans. The shy girl gave a small start and hurriedly scanned the vicinity for anyone who could have seen what Chikane was doing to her. She heaved a deep sigh as soon as she was certain that there was no other soul on this private beach of the Himemiya.

"Chikane-chan..." she called weakly, her modest yet beautiful chest heaving faster and her nose issuing more and more rapid breaths. Even so, she made no move to resist as Chikane lifted the hem of the shirt well above her navel, rubbed her face most lovingly against the silky skin of her flat tummy, and slipped her hands beneath the thin fabric, allowing them to run up and down the golden-haired girl's stiffened back and explore the shallow trench of her spine.

"What was that, Himeko?" the track-and-field athlete's voice crackled in hesitation. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch it."

"It's... it's nothing! What... did you call me for, anyway?" Her voice faltered and dwindled into quietness as Chikane's fingertips rose high enough to brush upon the strap of her bra and fumble teasingly around the hooks. She seemed torn between disappointment and relief, however, once the hands had traveled back down and rested firmly atop the back dimples just above her petite and fully concealed bottom. The tip of her nose exploring the cute depression that was her lover's navel, she deposited slow, moist kisses upon the soft, warm flesh of her sweetheart's smooth abdomen. Her tongue left wet trails across her girlfriend's velvety skin, forcing her to clutch at her mouth with her vacant hand to prevent it from uttering any more embarrassing gasps.

"Ah well... I wanted to let you know that Kazuki-san had caught a horrible cold earlier this afternoon," Saotome announced. "He can't be the best man tomorrow."

Breaking the contact between her lips and her sweetheart's skin, Chikane turned her head and placed a deep kiss upon the rough jeans fabric concealing Himeko's most private treasure. Her action caused the golden-haired girl to draw air through gritted teeth. The heat between those lithesome thighs flared into life stronger than ever. The sweet aroma rising from beneath the jeans was no longer faint. Fire bloomed beneath Chikane's skin and warmed her rapidly in defiance of the cool air of the twilight. A couple more kisses ensued, all on the same spot, each lingering a little more. Her lips recalled the silky texture of a precious rose none other than her allowed to kiss. Her tongue remembered the delicious moistness and the unrivaled sweetness of its flower petals during her sweetheart's most intimate moments. The memories drove her wild.

"Please... stop... Chikane-chan..." her first love whispered, her voice the fierce battlefield between exasperation and physical delights. Her hand fell gently upon Chikane's head. She was sure it originally meant to push her away. What it ended up doing was stroking her and brushing her flowing blue hair in a manner more suitable for encouragement than opposition. Chuckling softly, she lifted her face from between her girlfriend's long, slender thighs and quietly lowered the latter onto her back upon the white sands. She crouched on all four atop the adorable Photography Major, who gazed up at her with a pair of pleading amethyst eyes while her hand trembled around her wireless. Her other arm slipped about Chikane's waist, pulling her down and reducing the distance between their insufferably heated lower torsos, even though her lips were desperately mouthing the word _"No."_ She did not look able to make up her mind whether she liked the tender attention or not.

Quick kisses connected their mouths and stole their breaths, silencing all words the golden-haired girl could have uttered. When they were not, though, soft whimpers escaped into the air and inevitably reached the cell phone.

"Are you... okay, Himeko?" the static-tinted voice from the wireless demanded. It was filled with apprehension now. Saotome Makoto seemed to be catching on.

"Yes..." the sunlit angel managed between the frantic meetings of their lips. In the beginning, she did make a few attempts at resisting by feebly and quite reluctantly dodging the kisses. Yet, she ultimately surrendered herself to the throes of passion and soon kissed her back in equal enthusiasm, if not more. The hand she placed on Chikane's back trailed downward and placed itself on her posterior, squeezing her tentatively and touching her intimately through her jeans-shorts, eliciting from her gushes of pleasure and contented gasps that were quickly swallowed by her lover's eager mouth. The cell phone, held by loose fingers now, looked ready to fall off her hand. Chikane doubted her girlfriend would mind were that to happen.

"So," Saotome Makoto cleared her throat on the other side of the cell phone, "I need someone to replace Kazuki-san... and Tsubasa-san refused to do it, giving no reason whatsoever. And that brings us to the point," she spoke more hurriedly now as though wanting to get it over with, "Himeko, will you ask your girlfriend to stand in Kazuki-san's place at the wedding tomorrow?"

The kisses stopped. Chikane blinked in shock. Himeko looked astonished.

"I know," her former roommate continued, "I know it's supposed to be a man. But I don't care, really. All I need is for you to be happy standing in front of the altar with me on the most joyous day of my life, Himeko. Don't deny it. You'd be thrilled if you could have your precious Chikane-chan up there with you."

Amethyst eyes regarded Chikane shyly, confirming that the golden-haired girl's best friend just claimed to be the truth. A fluffy sensation welled in her as she lowered her mouth to that of the girl she loved, offering a light kiss meant for gratitude. The smile she was rewarded with was brighter than the two-day-old moon on high that had come to reign atop the starlit heavens. Smiling in return, she rubbed her forehead lovingly against the angel's and simply gazed at her, admiring her charming face.

"What about your parents, Mako-chan?" the sunlight of her world asked. "They're not going to sit well with her standing next to Souma-kun at the altar. I'm sorry," she grimaced, "but I've always thought they were sticklers for traditions."

"They are," affirmed the athlete. "But they don't know yet. Neither will they until you two show up." Even the static noises were crackling with mischief and glee. "It'd be too late for them to complain then. But hey, stop thinking and ask her already! Don't you want to see her in a tuxedo?"

Chikane's first love fell quiet and gazed up at her face in wonderment.

"Do you?" she whispered fondly. The cute girl lying beneath her nodded vigorously and blushed so hard her complexion glowed bright red in the moonlight. "Tell her I will do it, my little angel."

"She said yes, Mako-chan!" her girlfriend murmured into the wireless device, unable to hide the excitement in her nightingale voice.

"Awesome!" the auburn-haired girl exclaimed. "Just ask her to come to Takako's shop tomorrow morning before coming to the wedding..." A long pause. "Wait a minute, she's there with you?"

"Um... yes..." the golden-haired girl admitted.

"Then those noises earlier..." Another pause. An impish cackle. "Don't tell me... I guessed it right from the beginning...?" Her voice suddenly adopted a playful tone. "Since when did a night owl like you go to bed this early, Himeko?"

"No, it's not like that, Mako-chan!" she denied hastily.

"Whatever you say," the cell phone taunted. "I'm going to stop interrupting your... fun and hang up now."

"Mako-chan! Listen to me!" Frustration touched Himeko's voice.

"Don't stay up too late or exhaust yourself, roommie" Saotome Makoto refused to relent, sounding like she was enjoying herself immensely. "You know the wedding is early tomorrow and that it lasts a long time. You need your strength. See you then." She hung up.

"You're a naughty girl, Chikane-chan," scolded Chikane's first love as she slipped the phone back into her pocket. She hardly sounded irritated, or displeased. A little embarrassed to have made these kinds of sounds on the phone with her best friend, maybe. "What did you have to do _that_ for?"

"Penalty for bringing your phone here," she murmured, shifting her lower torso atop that of her sweetheart in such a way that the latter had to clear her throat loudly to keep an embarrassing whimper from being released into the night air. "I left mine back in the bedroom for a reason, you see."

"I forgot," the little angel answered apologetically. "It was in my pocket since the morning, when Mako-chan gave it to me. She insisted that I had it until she had the chance to buy me one in case some emergency happened."

"I see." Chikane chuckled, rising from the wonderful pillow that was her lover. Once she stood firmly on the ground, she extended a hand and helped the golden-haired girl to her feet. "Let us head back to the summer house. It is getting chilly out here." Himeko nodded in agreement, eyeing Chikane's flimsily clad frame in concerns. "Besides," she continued, her hand gesturing at the structure standing more than half a dozen yards away, from where a silver limousine had just departed, its red and orange taillights streaking into the descending darkness, "my parents have left."

The sunlight of her world lowered her amethyst eyes to the sandy ground, flushing lightly at the allusion in her words.

"I am cold, my little angel." Chikane draped an arm across her lover's shoulders, pulling her closer and placing her lips next to the golden-haired girl's ear. "Will you warm me up when we are back inside?" she added meaningfully.

"It'd be my pleasure, Chikane-chan," Himeko whispered, smiling up bashfully at her.

Smiling, Chikane led her toward the summer house, where she hoped she could spend a wonderful evening uninterrupted and receive once again the mind-numbing earthly delights denied to her since the previous night, when fatigue had compelled her and her sweetheart to cease their innocent yet passionate exchanges of kisses and touches and go to sleep. It was not going to happen anytime soon now that they had taken a little nap before coming down to this beach and watching the sun returning to the watery cradle of the world. This time, the night was theirs.

* * *

Kouzuki Takako had only been to a bar once despite being old enough to legally enter one and liking to drink as much as her fellow members in the Fanatic Trio. It was partly because she thought it only fun downing liquor with the people she was intimately acquainted. It was also partly because her very first experience was pretty much a disaster. It had happened one evening half a year ago, when Nakashima Miho and Igarashi Aiko, her best friends, took her to a pub in Downtown Mahoroba just to have fun. Ten minutes after they finished their first bottle of beer brought to their table a gang of three drunken men, who looked more like thugs in their black leather vests and metal chains around their necks. The three had started with flirting to her and her friends and finished with one of them grabbing Takako by the wrist and trying to drag her along.

She was sure he thought she was helpless against his muscles and his chains. He was sorely mistaken. She had taught him that a girl's _"No"_ didn't imply _"Yes, keep hitting on me until I agree"_ with her fists. The man had learned first-hand that the black belt awarded to her at the end of her Karatedo training wasn't just for show. He and his lecherous companions had ended up on the floor with broken arms and significantly fewer teeth, surrounded by a mess of smashed tables and broken glasses. Miho and Aiko had planned to take her and leave immediately, but they were too late. The pub owner had called the cops the moment the fight started, and for once, those good-for-nothing arrived quickly enough to bring the whole lot to the nearest station. The hassle Takako had to go through in the aftermath had helped strengthen her strong dislike for bars and pubs in general. She had thought that she would never set foot in one ever again.

Little did she anticipate that she eventually _would_. Never once did she imagine that when she _did_ , she would be in the company of someone as unlikely as the girl sitting next to her at the flat, marble-topped counter, studying the empty martini glass in her hand like a child would her first birthday present. It was already her fourth glass, consumed in the very same way she did the first three. One quick gulp. One quick word to the bartender to immediately have it refilled. It was not how Takako thought someone like Renna Akemi would act.

Pausing mentally, she retracted the thought. In light of what she had seen a couple of hours ago, when she encountered the future lawyer in the basement parking of the Himemiya Plaza, she shouldn't have been surprised at all.

 _"So that brings the total to... excuse me, Taka?" a deep, throaty voice pulled Kouzuki Takako out of her daydream in a flash._

 _Flushing slightly, she focused her attention back on the man standing in front of her. Holding in his hand a huge calculator that could have been a relic from the Second World War era, the owner of the Fumiko Flower Shop, named after his wife, was a man in his late seventies with virtually no hair on his head and an impressive gray beard extending all the way to his chest. In defiance of his age, Kakihara Noboru fully enjoyed the health and agility of a man twenty years younger. The dark eyes behind his half-moon spectacles were still sharp, his back straight, and his appetite strong as ever. Takako often hoped she'd be as healthy when she grew old._

 _"Sorry, jii-chan." She scratched her head._

 _"You've been spacing out the whole time you're here, child," the florist peered at her, every wrinkle of his welling with curiosity. "I've rarely seen you like this before. Has some boy managed to tangle your wits?" The Kakihara and the Kouzuki were ever close friends. Noboru himself saw Takako as a granddaughter he never had – he was childless – so he never hesitated to speak his mind in front of her._

 _"No!" she denied hastily. "I'm... just not feeling well, that's all," she lied._

 _"If you say so," said the elderly man as he shot her a quick glance that very well demonstrated his disbelief. She felt her cheeks warming. Gods, but she did need to keep her acts together before the rest of the world became suspicious of her unusual behaviors. Earlier this morning, her mother had asked why she spent more than an hour immersed in the bathtub just to walk out of the bathroom later in a dizzying daze. That afternoon, her little brother had wondered aloud, much to her embarrassment, why she walked out of the house with a sneaker on her left foot and a sandal on her right. Her father hadn't said anything to her since she woke, but he did eye her oddly once when he passed her room and saw her sitting on the bed and staring blankly at the empty wall straight ahead._

 _She was afraid that she was going to come home today to a formal family gathering, where they sat down in the living room and demanded why she hadn't traded playful verbal jabs with a one of them since daybreak. She imagined that a horrible hangover wouldn't be good enough an excuse to satisfy their curiosity. Especially when she knew that they could sniff out lies as soon as they were said. In that aspect, her family would have made excellent interrogators._

 _"Anyway," Kakihara Noboru cleared his throat, "this will be the total amount for your order." He showed her the number on his obsolete calculator. She checked the items in her head, did a few mental calculations, and nodded to herself. It looked about right. Of course, she trusted that the old man wouldn't charge her over the actual price. It was his calculator that she couldn't put her faith in. Goodness, but the thing looked like it was going to fall apart anytime soon. "We'll deliver it to the address you specified within the hour."_

 _"I love your service." She grinned._

 _"Only because it's you." The florist winked behind his half-moon glasses. "We charge extra for this kind of speed delivery." He put down the calculator on the register counter and began writing neatly on a piece of receipt. "So, how's the role of a wedding planner going for you, child?"_

 _"Terrific," Takako answered as she surveyed the interior of the shop. It had been a while since she came in here in person – she often did phone orders – but everything seemed to be the same as her last visit. Situated on the highest floor of the Himemiya Plaza, a couple of left turns away from the famous Ichihana Diner, the Fumiko Flower Shop boasted a great variety of flowers that would certainly satisfy any customer who walked beyond its friendly and nicely decorated doors. "I think I'm doing an awesome job over all. I must be a natural." The comments drew from the old man a throaty laugh._

 _Jokes aside, being the planner for her best friend's wedding was a very fulfilling and amazing job._

 _"Modesty is a great virtue, Taka," he replied._

 _She feigned a vexed sound in her throat. "My ego is still growing, jii-chan. Modesty doesn't feed it very well."_

 _"Your ego is big enough for an adolescent boy already." Noboru ruffled her hair with a bony hand. Then he suddenly paused and peered at her again with his head tilted and one of his eyebrows raised. "Child, I might've discovered why you're still single."_

 _"Enlighten me." She eyed him wryly in response. This should be good._

 _"The only thing girly about you is your appearance," he declared. "Except your clothes, of course." He glanced at her white jeans, black tee-shirt, and simple Nike sneakers. The man often made his points known to everyone in her family, herself included, that she dressed too masculine. She once told him a Takako in a dress was a cat under water. Death by suffocation was inevitable, she had added. A derisive snort from him was what she got in response. "You're a boy clothed in a girl's body." This part wasn't new. He wasn't the first person to tell her this. "You like to watch sports, drink beers, and punch people around with that Karatedo of yours." He was undoubtedly referring to the bar incident._

 _"Things any self-respecting tomboy would do," she elaborated, her feet taking her to a corner of the shop where the man had put quite a few of his rose species. She herself would like to see a black rose, but it was the one thing Kakihara Noboru didn't have. Maybe she should ask him to find her one._

 _"That's how you turned the boys away!" exclaimed the elderly florist, who refused to let the argument die. "You can't keep doing this!"_

 _"Who needs them?" She waved her hand dismissively, chuckling._

 _"You do!" Noboru lifted an eyebrow in obviously feigned indignation. "Don't you want to be married to some nice guy, settle down, and maybe, I don't know, have some kids?"_

 _"It'd be a disaster," she remarked, her hands picking up a small pot atop which a violet rose was blooming proudly. It looked very nice. She pondered buying it. "We'd be arguing from sunup to sundown, go out to eat every meal," she couldn't cook even an omelet for her life and absolutely loathed instant noodles, "and drink beers with one another instead of looking after the kids. Wait, we'd be bankrupted_ and _divorced before we could have any kids." She laughed at that._

 _"You're right," he relented. "Maybe you don't need a husband... but a wife."_

 _Her hands slipped, and the flower pot crashed onto the floor. It was already too late when she realized that the man was making a joke._

 _"Leave it there, Taka," commanded Noboru as soon as she bent down and attempted to gather the broken pieces. "Jun, lend us a hand here, won't you?" he hollered toward the open side door leading to the storage room._

 _"Right away, boss!" replied a much younger voice. A few seconds later, Matsueda Jun, a good-looking man in his late twenties shuffled out and smiled as soon as he saw Takako. He was a very nice guy. "What do you want me to do?"_

 _"Clean this up, please?" Noboru gestured at the mess on the floor._

 _"Sure!" He went back inside and swiftly returned with the appropriate cleaning tools._

 _"Step over here, child." The florist led her to the counter. "You know," his bespectacled eyes bored at her, making her nervous, "I suddenly remember the friend you used to bring here during the weekends a few years back. Where is she? And what's her name again?"_

 _"Misaki," she supplied in a quiet voice, her hands clenching at her sides. She quickly hid them behind her back. "She was... a classmate in senior high. I... lost contact with her a long time ago, after she moved out of town." Bad memories._

 _"I see." The man stroked his long gray beard ponderously. "I remember how close you two were. Always holding hands, always laughing together." A long pause came. "You never forgot to buy her some flower whenever you came in. You must miss her a lot."_

 _"Not really," she answered almost defensively and far too quickly than she had intended. "In any case," she continued, "I think I should go. The bridal shop is rather understaffed right now." That was an outrageous lie. The establishment was currently manned by enough employees until it closed at nine in the evening._

 _"Okay." Kakihara Noboru nodded. "Come home safely." He chuckled and added in a much more cheerful tone, "Taka, are you still driving that unseemly SUV, by the way?"_

 _"Yes." She offered him an awkward smile. It was another one of his gripes. The florist once inquired why she didn't buy a sedan like normal girls instead of a black Highlander IX-465 that consumed more fuel and was harder to maneuver. She told him that her ego enjoyed a higher view. That earned her another snort._

 _"Too bad," he murmured._

 _It was the last thing from him that she heard before she walked out of the Fumiko Flower Shop. Yet, the nerve-racking conversation with the old man soon departed from her troubled mind as her amber eyes dawned on a slender figure approaching in a pace well in the middle of walking and running. This person boasted a curvaceous frame clad in a violet satin dress and a face any man would look twice. Takako remembered her. The girl's name was Renna Akemi, daughter to the Mayor, who was introduced to her yesterday at Himeko's birthday party. Less than twenty-four hours ago, the short-haired girl's facial expression was a pond in winter, cool, calm, and collected. Now, it was bristling with emotions that warred with one another to gain dominance over her lovely face._

 _Takako's heart skipped a beat as the future lawyer missed a step and almost fell. Regaining her balance in a quick and flustered manner, she hurried down the stairs and vanished. The sounds of her high heels clattering on the steps soon faded into quietness._

 _Worried, Kouzuki Takako dashed after her._

The unexpected encounter resulted in her holding in her arms a trembling and weeping Renna Akemi in the basement parking lot of the Himemiya Plaza. After about half an hour, during which she did nothing except trying to comfort the girl through hesitant strokes on the latter's back, Akemi shed her last tear and tried to wriggle out of Takako's embrace. Although rather unwilling, she had untied her arms and helped the girl with tear-drenched face to her feet. It was rather obvious that she was no condition fit to drive without crashing into another car on the freeway, Takako had offered to take her home in the black SUV. The Mayor's daughter, perhaps realizing that a step into her own car was a step into the coffin, agreed.

Soon afterwards, the Highlander IX-465 had rolled out of the Himemiya Plaza and made its way across Mahoroba. To her surprise, her passenger had requested that she parked in front of a bar in Downtown. The elegantly dressed girl, who had cleaned up her face with a handkerchief before stepping out, then offered the security guard a familiar nod, which was responded to by a warm _"How you doing?"_ and walked inside. Having hurriedly activated the alarm of her Highlander and completely forgotten her dislike toward such facilities, Takako hurried after the girl.

That was how she ended up sitting next to Renna Akemi at the counter and watching the girl downing glass after glass of martini like she would water. At least no one had come up to their place and bothered them. As expected from a high-class bar, its customers were polite people dressed nicely enough for a formal party. All of them confined themselves to quiet conversations at their own corners and paid virtually no attention to what was going on elsewhere. There was not a single wisp of smoke, not a loud sound of bantering, or any behavior that was out of line under the mild orange light spilling down from the ceiling.

Maybe bars weren't all so bad.

"Do you come here often, Renna-san?" Takako asked, intending to break the uncomfortable silence that had been shrouding them for the last fifteen minutes.

The short-haired girl turned to look at her with a pair of beautiful dark eyes, the clarity of which suggested no signs of intoxication despite the amount of alcohol she consumed, and spoke, "I used to. Haven't been here for a while, though. I'm surprised that the security guard outside still remembered me."

"We all do," the bartender interjected politely. "It's rather hard to forget a customer as beautiful as you, you know." He chuckled. "Especially when you came here every night for more than five months straight. We missed you when you disappeared for the last four weeks, though."

 _Four weeks?_ Something tugged at the back of Takako's mind. _Wait. Isn't that exactly how long Himeko's school term has lasted?_

"Don't worry," Akemi mumbled. "You'll be seeing me more often from now on." _"Bitterness"_ failed to fathom the depth of the emotions in her voice. She put the long-stemmed glass on the countertop and demanded, "One more."

"Did something bad happen?" the bartender asked, frowning at his resplendent customer. He made no move to refill her empty martini. "You sounded exactly the same as the first day you walked into this bar."

"Do I?" She chuckled. Settling a side of her face upon her arms, folded atop the counter, she tapped slowly on the rim of the glass and peered curiously at her own distorted reflection. She chuckled again at the man's firm nod. "Well then, why don't you do the same for me? You'd be doing me a great favor."

"Not a chance." The bartender shook his head vigorously. "You were so wasted that night you didn't even remember your _name_ or where you lived. The manager and I had to let you sleep over in the bar because we didn't know what to do with you. Haven't you realized the dangerous situation you were in, missy?" He sounded annoyed, concerned, and exasperated at the same time.

 _They're close,_ Takako noted. No normal bartender would dare talk this way to his customer unless they were in quite an intimate level. _But how close?_ She felt a pang of... _something_ in her heart.

"Dangerous?" Akemi scoffed. "You're the type that will kill yourself before you did something unfaithful to your boyfriend, and your manager shares your taste in men. Too bad, she's kinda cute."

A sigh of relief escaped from Takako before she knew what she was doing. Thankfully, neither the man nor the short-haired girl noticed.

"You hardly knew us then," he muttered, "and that's beside the point!"

"Come on, don't be stingy," Akemi pouted at him. "One more couldn't hurt, could it?"

"Just one more," the bartender warned. At an eager nod from the future lawyer, he took her long-stemmed glass and began preparing a new one. She beamed at him like a child who had managed to persuade her parents to give her ice cream right before a meal.

"Something on my face?"

Kouzuki Takako didn't realize that the question was addressed to her after a few seconds. Neither was she aware that she had been staring openly at Renna Akemi in what must have been disbelief.

"No." She shook her head, refraining from telling the Mayor's daughter that she wasn't acting the way Takako thought she would. When she swept inside Himeko's apartment in a manner so regal and dignified perhaps the only person in this world could best her was Himemiya Chikane, Takako had thought that Akemi and the birthday girl's newfound _friend_ were similar. Outwardly, they both seemed refined and courteous, they both carried themselves with impeccable grace, they radiated a sense of maturity seldom seen on girls their age, and their collected exteriors gave out the impression that they were strong enough mentally to bend others to their will.

Now she knew with a certainty that not all of these details were true.

"Here you go," said the bartender as he produced a fifth martini glass and put it in front of the future lawyer. She once again downed it in one quick gulp. Disapproval was plain in the man's eyes. "Anyways," he cleared his throat, "what happened this time that got you so depressed you needed to find solace in this bar, missy?"

"Something similar to last time... but not quite as bad." She sighed.

"May I remind you that you never told us what happened last time either?" he pointed out.

"Don't be nosy," Akemi scolded, not quite unkindly. Her obsidian eyes fell upon the rim of the empty martini glass. There, they paused momentarily before they were once again colored in anguish. "Not something pleasant for me to relate to you. I'd rather forget about it." Her tone had such a note of finality that the bartender simply nodded in acquiescence and fell quiet.

Kouzuki Takako, on the other hand, had no such intention.

"Why don't we trade?" she proposed. "My story, for yours."

Renna Akemi and the bartender eyed her as if she were a dinosaur.

"Tempting," the short-haired girl commented politely after a while. "But... no thanks."

"Would you give me a martini too, sir?" Takako turned to the handsome man standing behind the counter. "I'm rather thirsty." It was true. She hadn't even had a glass of water since stepping inside this high-end bar. Plus, her fondness of alcoholic drinks was demanding that she found something _strong_ to satisfy her thirst.

"As you wish," he said in a voice much cooler than what he had employed while speaking to the Mayor's daughter. Smiling inwardly, she watched as he mixed up the ingredients and swiftly produced a long-stemmed glass filled to the brim with the transparent liquid her pretty companion had been consuming from the start. He placed the thing in front of her, then spread his hands professionally. "Enjoy." The lack of warmth in his words was noticeable.

"Thank you," she murmured gratefully, took the glass into her hand, and turned to the future lawyer. "Say, how about _this_ for an incentive? You know your friend won't give you any more."

 _"Hey!"_ the bartender protested indignantly but quickly shut up at startled glances from his other customers. He then confined himself to scowling darkly at Takako in a way that reminded her of a dog who had seen a cat in his territories and was determined to remove it. She was suddenly thankful for the wide counter standing between them.

"Persuasive, aren't you?" Akemi opined, her delicate mouth blossoming into a little smile as she took the glass from Takako. "I agree." She blinked. "Are you sure there's nothing on my face? Why are you staring?"

"First time I see you smile," Takako said quietly, not bothering to stop her vacant hand from rising and her forefinger from brushing across the other girl's lips. They were very soft. They felt as smooth as a velvet cloth. They were very warm. "You're very pretty... but you're beautiful when you smile." She withdrew the hand, watching under the weight of a deafening silence, in which she heard her heart pick up its pace, as a light pink color spread like wildfire across Renna Akemi's cheeks. It erased the remaining traces of her cool façade. It brought out the more delicate and adorable features of her already lovely visage. It injected a lethal dose of wine into Takako's blood.

"Anyways," the future lawyer cleared her throat and averted her dark gaze down to the rim of the martini in her hand, obviously embarrassed, "you said you were going to trade your story with mine. Why don't you... start?" Those shy words were underscored by a strange meekness none would have associated with the cool, queenly, and self-possessed Renna Akemi who had entered Himeko's apartment.

"From when I was just a snot-nosed kid, I've rarely thought of myself as a girl," Takako began, smiling at the memories. "I often got into fight with the bullies in the neighborhood and once beat them up so severely their parents came to my house and screamed at my mom." That gave her enough trouble to forget about the horrible bruises she had accumulated. "I liked to play soccer or baseball with the boys everyday and ended up either covering my clothes in dirt or ripping them badly at the seams. I considered boys easier to deal with than girls, for they didn't cry at any given chance, they considered me as one of them as soon as I proved I was capable of playing their games, and they helped me take my minds off of things I didn't want to think of on more than one occasion."

"They did?" Renna Akemi asked curiously, seemingly unaware of the full martini in her hands. She had yet to take a sip. _It's a good sign,_ Takako decided, smiling inwardly.

"They did," she confirmed. "In fact, they made my life somewhat easier during the first year of my senior high, when I caught myself thinking more and more about one person in my class. Her name's Misaki." She folded her arms atop the countertop and rested her face on the crook of one. Her amber eyes remained riveted on the Mayor's daughter. Other girls would have called her rude. This particular one, despite blushing lightly at her, didn't seem to mind. "It scared me, you know," she confessed. "Up until that point in my life I'd never been attracted to even the most popular boy in school. I'd never imagined that I would keep thinking about a _girl_ every waking moment." She chuckled, hearing the bitterness and the fondness in that one single sound.

"What's so special about her?" inquired the future lawyer, seeming very interested now.

"Quite a few things." Takako tapped her lips thoughtfully. "She stood out from the girls in my class. She was sophisticated, she was pretty, she was proud enough for a man, and she never went giddy at the sight of a pretty boy like her classmates. In the beginning, I thought I simply admired her for the amazing person she was. I knew that assumption wasn't true one night, when I was doing homework at my desk and ended up writing a lengthy love letter addressed to her."

She shook her head slightly. "I was so horrified I tore it up and buried the shreds in my backyard, which resulted in a few broken fingernails and a night without sleep. Looking back, I'm really embarrassed at myself. You wouldn't have thought that a person as dry as me could write something cheesy like _'Dear Misaki, I was looking at the night sky tonight when suddenly the stars reminded me of your eyes and the moon, your face.'_ Of course, sucking horribly in grammar class as I was, I might've mistakenly exchanged _'stars'_ and _'moon,'_ but you get the idea."

Akemi's mouth tightened, obviously refraining from twitching into a smile.

"In any case, I didn't want to accept the very idea that I was into girls at that time," Takako continued. "In the end, my feelings for Misaki became so violent I had to come to terms with the fact that a boy might be the last person I'd fall in love with. It was rather... agonizing... and unsettling, too. I was constantly afraid what my family would do to me should they find out."

"They were that strict?" Sympathy tinged her resplendent companion's voice.

"Not quite." She shook her head. "It was just that I feared they'd disown me and kick me out to the street." She laughed. "I was afraid of rats, you see, and my neighborhood had an abundance of them. Those disgusting things always crawled out when the street lights went off. My dad always threatened to put one in my room whenever I was in a rebellious mood."

The revelation drew from Renna Akemi an amused chuckle that was quickly swallowed by the ensuing quietness. "I'm sorry," she apologized, blushing hotly. "I shouldn't have." Suddenly, she grinned, her dark eyes twinkling mischievously under the dim light bulbs on the ceiling. "But hey, should you really be staying here and talking to me? I was born in the year of the Rat, you know." She gave a small start. "I'm sorry," she muttered. "I did it again. The alcohol must have tangled my wits." She stuck out her tongue at the bartender behind the countertop, who sniffed loudly and went to serve another customer.

 _She's a year older than me?_ Takako thought.

"You're a cute Rat, so I don't think I'll be afraid of you anytime soon," she stated with a smile, mentally marveling at the deep color her comment had brought to Akemi's cheeks. "Besides, I know your weakness." She eyed the martini glass. "When I got _you_ drunk, _you'd_ be the one who has to be afraid." She winked meaningfully and made a scary face by rolling her eyes and baring her teeth.

The Mayor's daughter laughed aloud. The sounds she released could have been the crystal chimes made on a windy evening. She caught herself quickly, though, and eventually managed to fall quiet despite the hilarity still featured very prominently on her face. "What happened next?" she inquired.

"I think the Gods decided to put me into a rollercoaster," Takako replied. "You see, a guy friend of mine worked part-time for the post office. One weekend, he called me up and asked if I could cover him for just a day. Since he needed to take his mother to the hospital for a check-up, I agreed. He left a page of instructions for me, and I started being a clerk at the local office. Just several minutes before my lunch break, Misaki waltzed in." She paused for dramatic effects, pleased to see that the Mayor's daughter was fixing her eyes on her, imploring her to move on with the story.

"She was surprised to see me too," she said, "but she quickly got to the point. She showed me a piece of paper that the mailman usually left at people's door when they needed to deliver some signature-required shipment but there was no one home. She said that the mailman missed her twice in a row, and she had called in to rearrange a drop-off date, which happened to be that morning, but he didn't come by either. Frustrated, she decided to pay the post office a visit.

"I checked her tracking number on the computer and saw that her arrangement was entered wrong. The date for the redelivery was off by a couple of days. I was about to say that to her that when I suddenly had an idea." She laughed softly at her own plot, her mind reeling back to that fateful day.

 _"My records showed that someone called in earlier and asked that the item be shelved for future pickup," Kouzuki Takako told her secret crush. It was a blatant lie, but she was never a person who paid much attention to such a trivial detail. Her goal was far more important than her negligible conscience, which could stay in hell for all she cared._

 _"Really?" Abe Misaki said, surprised. "My family members are oversea at the moment so... who could that be?" She scratched her head, frowning._

 _"Your boyfriend, perhaps?" Takako suggested, refraining from swallowing nervously._

 _"I don't have one." Her classmate shook her head._

 _Fireworks went off in Takako's soul._

 _"If not, it must have been your girlfriend." She flashed her unlikely customer a smile, trying to make it sound a joke. "I couldn't tell whether it was a man or a woman on the phone, so..." She knew it wouldn't offend Misaki. Since the girl was very good-looking and did extremely well in class, she was popular with her female classmates. Every once in a while, she'd get a love letter from some third-year girl who didn't have the nerve to talk to her directly. When her friends teased her about it, she always laughed._

 _"Don't have one either," came the casual reply. The girl looked like she was still trying to figure out who the mysterious person was._

 _"Are you looking for one?" Takako asked, sensing her hearts doing somersaults in her chest._

 _The thoughtful expression vanished off Misaki's face. A wry smile crossed her lips and comprehension dawned in her eyes. "And why do you ask?"_

 _"Because I know a very nice, pretty girl who's madly in love with you."_

 _"Who might that be?" Abe Misaki propped her elbow atop the counter and placed her chin on her interlaced hand. She looked infinitely amused._

 _"Myself," Takako said. "Will you go out with me?"_

"You're one pushy person, aren't you," Renna Akemi observed, chuckling. "And how horrible of you to deceive her like that."

"Thank you." Takako grinned. "But hey, it did the trick! She agreed."

"Good for you," the future lawyer said.

"Maybe not." She shook her head. "Dating Misaki... turned out much more difficult than I had imagined. It was true that we had a lot of fun together... and she kept me warm and occupied during wintry nights," she flashed a mischievous look at her companion, who blushed and took up a serious study of her wine glass, "but we had our shares of bad moments. Although I used to love her very much, I eventually came to the conclusion that we weren't meant to be together. Her personality and mine were too similar while our tastes were heavens and earth apart, which led to us arguing heatedly about the smallest things. We both wanted to take charge of our relationship and refused to back down. We clashed more often than we kissed, and we quarreled as often as we would sit down and talk like decent human beings. In the end... we broke up and she moved oversea with her parents, forever out of my life." She sighed. "It was a horrible experience."

"I'm sorry to hear that," commiserated Renna Akemi, her sincerity loud and clear.

"Thank you," Takako murmured gratefully.

"Did you ever tell your friends? You know, Kurusugawa-san and the ones I met at the party?"

"I only became close to them after breaking up with Misaki. But no, I didn't reveal it to any of them. It's over, and I'd like to keep those kinds of things to myself."

"Then why did you tell it to me?"

Takako smiled. "Because I wanted to hear your story. By the way, I think it's your turn."

"Compared to yours, mine isn't so clear-cut," Renna Akemi confessed. "Even now, I still don't know why things happened the way they did." A long pause. A deep sigh. "About a year ago, I became smitten with a classmate in college. Naoyuki... was my first love. At first, I only admired her from afar, not daring to confess my feelings. One day, she suddenly came to me and asked to be my girlfriend. I was so overjoyed I nearly went mad." She rubbed along the stem of her glass absently with her fingers, her dark eyes growing distant and bearing the depressing hues of anguish. "And so we became lovers. Adoring her with all my heart, I did everything in my power to make her happy. I sacrificed everything I had to stay by her side. I was even willing to give up my future if necessary. Somehow... it wasn't enough.

"I noticed that Naoyuki didn't like my touches. I mean... she was okay with holding hands or even kissing in public... but any attempt of going further in private invariably led to her shying away." She gave Takako a rueful look. "You probably wouldn't believe me, but she wouldn't even let me sleep in the same room as her or let me be around when she changed her clothes. I didn't have the heart to press her, however, so I held myself back, thinking that things surely would change." A deeper sigh. A tighter clutch on the glass. "They didn't. Against my efforts, our relationship deteriorated. She spoke to me less despite my attempts to initiate the conversations. She answered fewer and fewer of my phone calls. The number of dates we had a week plummeted until I could only see her during the weekends."

Kouzuki Takako felt her heart clench. The daughter to the Mayor had related her tale so casually... but hidden in her words was enough pain to make Takako herself choke.

"The lightning came one day, when I came back to Mahoroba early after a legal seminar in Tokyo." Her lovely face darkened. "Eager to see Naoyuki, I rushed to her house. What greeted me at her door were a pair of shoes I didn't recognize and odd sounds echoing out from her bedroom. Even though I was fairly certain at that point, I decided to go in and make sure that I wasn't misunderstanding anything." Her voice showed signs of breaking, and her dark eyes shone with moisture under the dim light. "Through the gap in the bedroom door, I saw her with a strange man on the bed. I fled the apartment immediately, nearly killing myself on the way home. The very next day, she called me up and said everything was over between us. Not giving any reason, she hung up. I never saw her again."

She said no more. Tremblingly, she placed her martini glass on the counter as though afraid she was going to crush it with her own hands and stared blankly ahead. A tear emerged from the wells of her eyes and silently streaked down her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry, Renna-san," Takako whispered in regret as she gently pulled the twenty-year-old into her arms. "I shouldn't have made you talk. I shouldn't have been so selfish." She brushed the other girl's short, glossy black hair and hugged her more tightly, ignoring the bartender's sharp-as-knife look and the other customers' surprised stares.

"Selfish?" She felt Akemi rub her face against her heaving chest. Her voice was low, her breaths hot enough to sear through the black tee-shirt Takako was wearing and caressed her skin. The Mayor's daughter made no move to wiggle out of the curves of her arms. _Another good sign,_ she thought.

"I wanted to learn more about you," she confessed. "The only thing that I knew earlier was your name... and it kinda irked me. I didn't think it'd hurt you so much. I apologize." She released her lovely companion from her embrace. "Forgive me?"

"Get me one more martini... and maybe I will..." Akemi murmured.

"Don't be greedy now." Takako laughed. "You've yet to finish that one."

"No." The future lawyer flashed an impish grin. "But I'm curious how you could trick him," her dark eyes swiveled to a grimacing bartender and lingered there almost fondly for a brief moment, "into making you another drink."

"I can," she declared, "but I'm sure he'd sic security on me the next time I tried to get in here."

"Hell yes!"

The man stuck out his tongue at her, drawing from both her and Akemi an amused giggle. The sorrows of the Mayor's daughter seemed to have melted away. The conversation grew far lighter from that point onward. Paying no attention to the secrets they had exchanged, they talked about a wide variety of topics, ranging from how tiresome it was to stay in school to how fun it was to actually learn the ways to manage a bridal shop. Takako, being the witty person that she was ever proud of, easily made Akemi laugh whole-heartedly by telling her jokes about the latter's future profession. She thought she could do it all night.

Yet, the hearty atmosphere was soon ruined by an unexpected arrival. She noticed that something had gone wrong the moment Renna Akemi fell deathly quiet and stared at the entrance of the bar. There stood a couple roughly of Takako's age. The boy was fairly handsome, finely dressed, and in possession of a smile that clearly portrayed an ego as big as the building itself. Hanging tightly on his right arm was a girl with long hair that was of more or less the same shade but much less shiny than that of Kurusugawa Himeko. If Takako's best friend's hair was fine strands of pure sunlight in spring, this one's was simply threads of bronze after a long period of exposure to the air and corrosion. It was lackluster.

"Are you okay?" Takako laid a hand on her companion's shoulder. Her face was very pale.

The newly arrived couple, unaware of Akemi's presence, chose a corner to sit down and began calling drinks for themselves. The girl's mouth was constantly moving, her eyes twinkling, and her head turning in what seemed excitement, yet her arms were always tied around one of her boyfriend's as though glued. The other customers in the area were obviously unhappy with the noises the two had caused, for some of them simply rose from their chair and left while the rest frowned in their direction at least once and ended up trying to ignore them. In the background, Takako heard the bartender muttering something about _"unruly brats."_ She was inclined to agree.

It was then that all the pieces of the puzzle clicked in her mind. _So that's how it is,_ she mused.

"I'm sorry," squeaked Renna Akemi, hastily getting to her feet. "I'm... going to the restroom." She hurried away before Takako could say a word.

Surprised, she exchanged glances with the bartender, who turned his head and looked at the bronze-haired girl, who was frowning in Takako's direction, probably having noticed Renna Akemi leaving her seat in a hurry. Comprehension dawned on her.

"Speaking of the devil," the bartender muttered, evidently irritated.

"Do you think she is who I think she is?" Takako asked, glancing at the newcomers.

"Who else could she be?" he scoffed. "I don't think there's anyone aside from her who could make um..." he glanced toward the ladies' restroom, "her so flustered."

 _"Her?"_ She blinked at him. "You don't know her name?"

"I never asked." He shrugged. "This is a high-end bar. It's for people who have money or social status and want a place to relax without having their identities exposed. In here, you simply don't ask for people's names or try to find out who they are." He made it sound the most obvious thing in the world.

"I see," she responded, not seeing at all.

All of a sudden, he hissed, "She's coming over!" Out of a corner of her eyes, she saw the bronze-haired girl rising from her seat and walking toward the counter. Naoyuki – Takako didn't want to refer to such a questionable character, even mentally, by her given name, but since her family name wasn't given, it would have to do – had deep suspicions creased into her rather pleasant face.

"Hello," she greeted the girl politely despite the disgust souring her stomach. "What business have you with us?" The bartender looked like he had reserved some choice words himself, but for now, he held his peace.

Naoyuki didn't answer the question. "So, are you her new lover?" _"Rudeness"_ failed to describe her tone. _"Insolence"_ might be a better word.

"How does it concern you anyway?" Takako asked coolly.

"Because she swore up and down to love me forever," the brat said. "It seems she didn't keep her word after all." A sneer decorated her petulant mouth. Takako's hand itched to slap her. She kept it still at her side.

"Why should she?" She tilted her head and eyed the creature standing before her in unconcealed disdain. A dark shadow clouded the girl's face. "I'm glad she actually managed to get over you. A jerk like you isn't worth brooding over, of course." The bartender nodded at her in approval. Perhaps what he wanted to say wasn't all that different. She suddenly had an urge to reach over and high-five him.

"What the hell did she say about me?" Naoyuki demanded heatedly. The sheer volume of her voice drew her boyfriend from his chair and compelled him to plant himself stiffly at her side. He was probably trying to look menacing, but he failed miserably at that. "She must have, right?"

"She didn't say anything about you in particular aside from the fact that you cheated on her." Takako smirked. "But hey, I think _I_ know more about you than _she_ ever did."

 _"Nonsense!"_ the other girl spat.

"Wanna bet?" She chuckled. "Feel free to interrupt me if you think what I say is wrong, okay?" She cleared her throat and focused her amber eyes on Naoyuki. "You approached her from the beginning because you were drawn to her cool façade and seemingly strong personality. You stuck to her because she, like a man, spoiled you silly and heeded your every little whim." The bronze-haired girl went slightly pale in the face. "Yet you eventually realized she wasn't the person she was trying so hard to be. She tried to act tough, she pretended to look strong, but deep down, she was a frail girl who needed comfort and assurance like most other girls would. Perhaps it was then that you knew what you truly wanted was a man." Naoyuki's lips compressed into a thin line. "Of course, I wouldn't blame you for that. It does take some of us some time to come to understand what we have made the wrong choice. However," Takako's eyes narrowed, "I despise you _because_ you _chose_ to linger by her side for your selfish purposes and ended up hurting her more than you could think. Say... do you love her money and social status so much you could only sever the relationship after being found out?"

 _"Hah!"_ exclaimed the bartender.

Naoyuki's hand rushed up from her side and swung forward in a wide arc as it aimed for Takako's cheek. Shaking her head lightly, she caught it by the wrist. "Violent little brat, aren't you?" She smirked. "I know why she liked Himeko, but I honestly do not see what she saw in _you_." She let go of Naoyuki, who staggered back a couple of steps and stared at her boyfriend in indignation.

"No one talks like that to my girl, you hear?" He rolled up his sleeves, exposing muscled arms, and strode forward. "You'll regret this."

"Some guy you are." Takako laughed softly. A swift gesture of her hand delivered the full martini glass into her grasp. Without hesitation, she hurled its content at the boy's face, halting his advance for one split second, which she didn't waste. Clad in a tough Nike sneaker, her foot came up quickly as lightning and struck him dead between his legs. His mouth letting out a guttural groan, he collapsed into a puddle on the floor. "Get a better boyfriend next time," she hollered after the retreating figure of the bronze-haired girl, who had made for the door at the instant of her boyfriend's defeat.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," she said and bowed to the bar's customers who had risen to their feet and applauded her aloud. A wide grin was plastered on her face when she sat down at the counter.

"Good job." The bartender was having his thumbs up. His voice was much warmer now. "But hey, why don't you take her," he gestured at an amazed Renna Akemi who was standing nearby from the Gods knew when, "somewhere else and let me clean up the mess? I think she has enough drinks already, too." He shook his head vigorously as soon as he saw her reaching for the wallet in her pocket. "No need for that. My treat tonight." He suddenly grinned at her and lowered his voice to a whisper. "You scored a lot of points tonight, I'm sure. Don't let them go to waste."

"I won't," she replied and gave him a smile before she took a still dazed Renna Akemi gently by the hand and led her out of the bar.

Comfortable silence accompanied them all the way to the black Highlander, standing majestically in the parking lot and beneath a sky where the sun was retreating toward the western horizon. Thirty seconds later, the IX-465 was cruising along one of the busy roads of Downtown, where the neon signs of the shops on either side were lighting up in a warm welcome to the arriving night. In the S.U.V, atop the leather passenger seat the Mayor's daughter sat, her head turned in Takako's direction and her dark eyes fixed upon Takako's face, watching her steer the utility vehicle toward the green hill west of Mahoroba.

"How much did you hear?" Kouzuki Takako asked quietly as the Highlander snaked along the paved two-lane road. The headlights were on, yet they never showed any car coming in either direction. They were all alone, just like Takako would have it. At the moment, Renna Akemi's pleasant company was all she ever needed.

"Most of what you said about Naoyuki," the future lawyer confessed. "I'm... impressed."

"By what?" Takako inquired, her eyes scanning the road.

"By... how you managed to figure out in fifteen minutes what I couldn't during last year."

"The bystanders always see more clearly," she quoted. "Besides, you were in love. You were as good as blind." She winked at her passenger. Akemi cleared her throat.

"By the way, you have horrible taste in girls if that one was your first love," she teased.

"Now where did _that_ come from?"

"Come on, she isn't worthy of you. Didn't you see that?" Akemi blushed. "You're better off with someone like..." she swallowed down the word that had risen half-way in her throat and supplied another, "Himeko." The future lawyer didn't seem to have noticed.

"That reminds me." Her long index finger tapped her lips thoughtfully. "You said you knew why I was attracted to Kurusugawa-san, didn't you?" She continued at a nod from Takako. "Tell me how?"

"Well, I guessed you were the faithful type... and Himeko does resemble your former girlfriend in appearance. She only happens to be a much prettier and far nicer version of that creep. Obviously you'd be attracted to her."

"I think you're right," the Mayor's daughter confessed.

"But you know what that'd suggest, don't you?" Takako said.

"Yes..." Her lovely passenger sighed and looked at her window, beyond which the darkness was slowly descending, blanketing everything in sight. The Highlander smoothly continued its serpentine uphill climb, which was guided by its far-reaching headlights. "Maybe... maybe I was just chasing Naoyuki's shadow all along. Maybe I've never been in love with Kurusugawa-san to begin with. If that's the case... I'm going to feel very bad toward Himemiya-san. I said so many nasty things to her."

"You can always apologize to her tomorrow," she pointed out. "I'm sure she'd accompany Himeko to the wedding." Renna Akemi was on the invitation list, and there was no way in hell Himemiya Chikane would let her girlfriend out of her sight.

"I guess," murmured the twenty-year-old.

"We're there," Takako announced, pulling her S.U.V to a smooth halt at the left side of the serpentine road.

"Where are we?" inquired the Mayor's daughter.

"Somewhere nice." Takako got off the utility vehicle, circled it, and opened the door for her finely dressed passenger. Murmuring a thank-you, she climbed down the IX-465 and let herself be led through a green thicket. Once they had pushed past the dense growth of shrubs and bushes, they arrived at a large clearing completely isolated from the road leading to the very top of the hill. Letting out a soft gasp, Akemi promptly became speechless at the scenery filling her vision. In front of her lay the modest metropolis named Mahoroba, urban and suburb, in all of its grandeur. Downtown, blessed with high-rises that nearly touched the skies and clothed in the bright illumination coming from the lights dotting the streets, stood proudly beneath the starry heavens that was dominated by a two-day-old moon. The air was cool and crisply fresh, the atmosphere quiet and nice. Up here, the sounds of the busy and fast-paced world could not reach them. Up here, time itself seemed to freeze.

"This is my secret hideout, if you will" she disclosed to an awfully impressed Renna Akemi. "Whenever I'm in a bad mood, I'd drive up here and stay until it departs. Usually, it does."

"Does that mean you're a bad mood now?" Her companion turned and smiled at her.

"Of course not. In fact, I've never felt better in my life." She sat down and rested her back upon the grassy ground. The bright stars twinkled at her.

"May I ask why?" Renna Akemi asked as she followed suit and lie down next to her.

She chuckled and didn't answer. Silence passed between them.

"Um... Kouzuki-san?"

"Taka," she corrected. "I dislike being addressed by my family name." She purposefully omitted the fact that only her family members, or those close enough to be considered so, called her that way. For now, her pretty companion didn't need to know that.

"Um... okay..." Akemi hesitated. "Taka?"

"Yes?"

"Why... are you so nice to me even though you don't me that well?"

She pondered the question in her head for a minute. "I'm not nice," she professed truthfully. "What I do, I always do for my own sake. When I commit a good deed, you can be sure that some ulterior motive is involved."

"What ulterior motive could you have for being nice to me?" Sheer curiosity tinted her voice.

"Because I want you to like me." Takako smiled at her lovely companion.

Akemi blushed. "And why would you want to?"

"Because I like _you_ very much," she confessed after a moment of silence. "Since meeting you yesterday... I couldn't get your image out of my mind. That was why I ran after you to the basement parking lot of the Plaza. That was why I chose to remain in that bar with you. That was why I wanted to make you laugh."

"You... are very honest," the other girl opined. Her face was scarlet now.

"Only to the people I cherish. To everybody else, I'm a horrible liar."

The future lawyer sat up straight on the grass, face painted with the color of regret. "I'm very sorry," she began. "Please understand. This is very abrupt for me. After all, I just met you yesterday... and I just got rejected by the person I _think_ I love. I can't get into another relationship so easily... or quickly, Taka..."

"I _do_ understand." Takako smiled softly, feeling only a small pang of sadness at the polite and considerate rejection. "I didn't really expect you to say yes, you know. But Renna-san, I'm not going to give up. At least not until you've become my girlfriend, that is."

"You're very pushy," Akemi commented. The smile on her lips was as dazzling as the scenery of Mahoroba. "But... I think I like that side of you... a lot." She bent over and placed her gorgeous face an inch above Takako's own. "Taka, I'm sorry I can't make myself love you immediately... but at least I'd like to thank you for what you've done for me today."

Their lips met. It started out as a mild kiss pure as spring water. Through incremental, barely noticeable changes, it grew into something else along the way. By the end, it had transformed into a kiss passionate enough for lovers. As their lips parted, Akemi stared at her for a long while in plain disbelief. She could tell that the twenty-year-old had not meant for such a thing to happen. She could also see flames bursting into life in those shiny pupils that could have been well-polished obsidian in the dark. That was why she wasn't in the least bit shocked when their owner opened her delicate mouth and murmured in a voice that betrayed her utter confusion, "Can I...?" She paused as if not knowing how to proceed. "May I...?" She swallowed audibly. "Will you...?" Her face was as red as it could be.

"Of course," Takako whispered.

Another kiss just as deep brought their mouths together, lasting twice as long and stealing her breath away. A third kiss was initiated the very instant the second broke. This time, their hands announced their active participation, however hesitant at first, by roaming all over each other's enflamed body. This time, Takako wrapped her arms around Akemi and refused to let her leave. The strangest thing was... the Mayor's daughter never had any intention of doing so. In her embrace the beautiful girl remained as article after article of her clothing left her breathtaking frame, all delicious curves, and every inch of her naked flesh became acquainted to the tips of Takako's trembling but curious fingers. She was gentle and she was kind, yet she was persistent and passionate in her quest to bring her unlikely lover to the plateaus of pleasures the girl never had a chance to visit. Waves of earthly delight rose, crested, and crashed in rapid successions over the future lawyer until she decided to return the favor by working her inexperienced yet magical hands on Takako's sensitive body parts.

Her cries of pleasure, muffled more often than not by the fervent kisses, echoed into the night.

* * *

Although Kurusugawa Himeko liked water as much as the next girl, she rarely took long baths. It was mostly because she was constantly short on time, she guessed. After all, her full-time classes, her club activities, and her part-time job had practically deprived her of the ability to enjoy life like many people in this placid town of Mahoroba. That was why she was always in a hurry. That was why she liked taking a quick but thorough shower before she crashed into bed and snoozed away until the sun popped up from the horizon. That was why she seldom found herself lounging in a bathtub and luxuriating in the hot water many claimed able to dispel the fatigue spawned by a long day of work.

Now, she did.

The bath chamber on the first floor of the Himemiya's summer house was about half as spacious as the _huge_ bedroom in which she had spent quite an enjoyable time last night. Tiled in expensive materials and equipped with things one could rarely see in a commoner's bath, it even had a Jacuzzi large enough for at least four people to climb in and stretch their arms and legs as far as they wanted.

Only two occupied the whirlpool tub now.

Immersed and relaxing in the device's bubbling hot water, its temperature kept constant by the numerous jet streams circulating in through the numerous openings along its inner surface, were Himeko and the moonlight of her world. Bare as the day she was born, the beautiful musician had her back straight against one of the hot tub's walls and her arousingly slender legs stretched in a vee-shape upon its flat bed. Clothed in nothing more than her skin, Kurusugawa Himeko reclined most comfortably upon her princess's curvaceous front, the back of her head on her lover's left shoulder, and her slim waist snuggled by a pair of loving arms.

Even though the Jacuzzi's water was hot, it failed to distract her from the amazing source of heat that was the princess of the Himemiya. Even though the jet flows constantly massaged her mostly submerged body, they couldn't divert her attention from the firm and ample bosom gently grazing her back, the stiff rosebuds nuzzling her skin, or the delicious softness affectionately kissing her posterior. Even though her amazing lover wasn't touching her now, even though she had spent most of the previous night in Chikane-chan's arms and subjecting herself to the latter's passionate ministrations, she couldn't help but feel the embers of desire slithering across her body, refusing to be extinguished by the water streams.

Her heart was beating so fast and erratically she wished she was still in bed with the girl she loved.

"We should get out, Himeko," the genius musician proposed, her hot and moist lips nibbling along the helix of her ear. She nearly melted Himeko into a shapeless puddle. "It is regrettable... but time is not on our side."

"Stay with me a little more, please?" she pleaded. Her hands converged on her girlfriend's own, folding atop her abdomen, in the fear that her first love was going to get out of the tub. "Once we get out of the house, we won't be back until nightfall." She slowly slid backward and eased herself deeper into her sweetheart's embrace, blushing furiously at the intimate contact between her skin and a pair of shapely breasts, between her lower back and a succulently taut tummy of a girl who regularly spent her time keeping herself in shape, and between her small behind and a beautiful rose blossom she liked to kiss. She sensed Chikane-chan tighten her strong yet slender arms around her waist and heard the girl gasp in unconcealed pleasure. That very sound, soft but clear, induced a sharp rise in her body heat.

Clearing her throat, she continued in a breathless voice, "I mean... I'd feel horrible if I had to spend such a long period of time without being able to hold you, touch you, or kiss you." Her face burned at the honest words. She wouldn't have had the nerve to say this in front of a third person. She would have blushed herself to death first.

"I did not know you were so needy, my little angel," whispered her first love, her voice tinted by amusement, mild embarrassment, and on top of all, joy. "But... I think it very adorable of you when you are like this." She took an earlobe between her lips and suckled on it playfully, striking a chord composed entirely of soft coos out of Himeko's throat. The princess's skin made the water feel rough. Her flesh made Jacuzzi's content seem cool. "Just ten more minutes, okay?" she mouthed her words slowly around the small flesh, the warmth and moistness of her lips igniting the fireworks and summon the lightning in Himeko's soul. "I am sure you do not wish to be late to your best friend's happiest day."

"Thank you, Chikane-chan," she whispered in gratitude and sat back to enjoy the physical intimacy with the girl she cherished. Within the curves of those slender arms, she was at peace, protected, and loved. It was amazing how someone who had wallowed in insecure her entire life like her could feel this way in an embrace with a girl she chanced upon two days ago in a bustling crossroad of Downtown Mahoroba.

"Himeko?" the genius musician prompted. "Would you happen to know if my cousin is attending the wedding ceremony?"

"Well," she hesitated, "Renna-san _is_ on the invitation list. But to tell you the truth... I'm not sure if she'll come. She probably doesn't want to see... us."

"Such a shame." Her gentle lover sighed and shook her head slightly. "I would have liked to speak with her today. Last we met, she was not exactly in the mood for listening, you see."

"What do you want to talk to her about?" she asked curiously.

"I simply wish to cheer her up a little." The princess offer quick butterfly pecks along her naked shoulders, pausing ever so often to suck softly at her wet skin. It felt really good. It reminded her of the deep kisses her amazing lover had showered all over her body last night, some places more frequently and passionately than others. Bringing her thighs together, she felt herself blush hotly enough to boil the water in the rectangular tub.

Unaware of the strange and unladylike thoughts in her head, her girlfriend continued smoothly, "I may not show it," she feigned a cough, "but I do feel bad and sorry toward her. After all, I am thankful for the fact that had it not been for her, my parents would never have summoned me to Mahoroba. I would have never met and fallen in love with you, dear sunlight of my heart." She kissed her deeply on the nape of her neck, her warm and fragrant breath caressing her skin.

"I hope she'll meet someone who loves her soon," Himeko murmured in appreciation. "She deserves someone better than me."

"You are wrong about that." Chikane-chan chuckled. "There is none. I am very fortunate in that an angel like you agreed to be my girlfriend. I must have committed some good deeds in my past life."

She blushed. The girl she loved claimed to be clumsy in putting her thoughts into words... but she was very adept at flattering.

The next couple of minutes she spent in comfortable silence until she realized that the blue-haired girl was caressing her flat stomach with delicate fingertips only meant for striking heavenly chords off the piano's one hundred and eight keys. They sent tremors rippling to even the most distant corners of her mostly submerged frame.

"It tickles, Chikane-chan," she whispered breathlessly, partly wanting the moonlight of her world to stop and partly desiring her to ease her wonderful hands a little further down, where her innocent strokes had managed to rouse emotions and sensations only suitable to enjoy in the sanctuary of their bed chamber.

"Ah... Sorry." The hands went still.

"What were you thinking about?" she inquired, trying to catch her breath.

Pearly teeth scraped gently along her shoulders. Moist tongue and lips teased her earlobes. A pair of hands traveled up and down her sides, causing goosebumps to rise all over her body. She became more and more aware of the excitement surging in her most sensitive regions, ever reminding her of her constant desire for the blue-haired princess. Two blissful nights in a row had failed to diminish her ardor. Countless visits to the apex of earthly delights never succeeded in satisfying her need. "I was thinking that I loved your abdomen more than any other place on your body." Shyness flowed in her words.

"Why?" she asked curiously. "Why does it get the special treatment?"

"Because one day..." the lower Chikane-chan's voice became, the more heat her curvaceous body accumulated, "you are going to carry my child inside it. Of course I love it the most."

Those honest words filled her to bursting with a warm, fuzzy sensation. Blushing harder than ever, she turned around, hugged her lover tightly, and buried her face in the steep valley between the latter's firm, ample breasts. She sensed the seashell pendant the princess wore kissing her softly on her forehead. She heard the musician's heart going wild.

"Who's going to bear your child?" she muttered in overflowing joy, her lips moving adoringly against her lover's perfect cleavage. "We're not even married yet." The conversation she had yesterday with Himemiya Sanae surfaced in her mind, reminding her how she had bawled like a baby in front of so many people. _But... that is a nice word, isn't it?_ a fond voice opined at the back of her head. _I'd want nothing more than to be married to Chikane-chan. And to have her kids._ The thoughts strummed a crescendo of higher and higher notes from the fibers of her existence.

She knew it was possible. The Himemiya International had recently announced to the world that it was capable of awarding a same-sex couple with a child _purely_ of their own and without necessitating any other source. The only problem with that, of course, was the sky-high price ones had to pay up front to have their wish made reality. Himeko... didn't think it was any difficulty now. After all, her beloved princess was a member of the Himemiya. She doubted they were going to charge the blue-haired girl for it.

"Does that mean you will bear as many as I want after we get married?" Her sweetheart snuggled closer to her. A hand ran soothingly up and down her naked back.

"What, you intend to have more than one?" She giggled. "So greedy."

"I think two are great," a dreamy voice answered her. "One would be too lonely, because our first child needs someone to play with, right? Our second will want someone to look up to, to be protected by, and to love. My little puppy, you are going to make that miracle possible."

"Why me?" she feigned disapproval, her lips enjoying the strong and even pulse on Chikane-chan's throat. "Why don't _you_ bear the children?" She didn't mean it. She loved the princess of the Himemiya so much the very idea of her suffering the pain of childbirth terrified her.

"I will do it for our second kid," her lover proposed.

"Why not the first?" Amazement seized her upon the realization that both of them were taking the conversation very seriously. Undiluted bliss blossomed like fireworks in her.

"Because I am a little selfish," Chikane-chan professed honestly. "I... cannot watch Shizuka enter the world if I am to bear her, can I?"

"Shizuka?" Himeko gazed up at her beautiful girlfriend, who surprisingly was blushing hard enough for a sunset. "You chose a name... already?" she inquired, listening to love roaring madly in her veins. The genius musician nodded softly. "Is there any special reason why you chose it?" Himeko's arms made their way around her lover's neck as she shifted her body up to claim Chikane-chan's full, moist lips. Their bosoms, too, met in a loving embrace that significantly quickened the pace of their already racing hearts.

"Guess," the princess urged.

An explanation came to Himeko without much difficulty. "Because you made your confession in the Shizuka Concert Hall, right?"

"Bingo." She was rewarded with a second kiss, which was deeper and much more passionate. It stole all the air in her lungs.

"You're very thoughtful, Chikane-chan," she whispered into the crook of the musician's neck. A question popped up in her mind and had her tap her lips in thoughtfulness. "But how do you know we... are going to have a daughter?"

A moment of silence passed between them.

"I... am not sure," the blue-haired girl murmured in hesitation. "I just... knew."

For some reason, that uncertain answer was enough.

"I see," Himeko murmured and fell quiet. The words they just exchanged replayed like a beautiful song in an endless loop in her head. She was not going to forget them, ever.

"Say, Himeko," the princess spoke up suddenly, grinning like a child at a festival. "Do you want to know my next favorite part of your body?" This time, mischievousness pulsed like a heart in her voice.

"What is it?" She knew she probably shouldn't have asked... but curiosity already got the better of her. It was then that she felt a small hand slide down her front, cross her flat tummy, and slip between her legs. Her heart tried to rise into her throat as slender fingers curled around the most sensitive mound of flesh on her body. A soft and involuntary whimper pried its way out of her lips.

"Right here," her first love whispered her sultriest voice, her hand working a wonder beneath the water surface, "where you are going to give birth to our first daughter." Her grip tightened, affectionately squeezing Himeko where she was most vulnerable to the touch.

"No, Chikane-chan..." she protested weakly. She didn't even sound like she meant it. "We... ah... don't have time for this..."

"No, we do not," the princess agreed, her hand withdrawing from Himeko's private part. A smile formed on the genius musician's lips. "Let us get out of here." She cradled Himeko in her arms and slowly rose to her feet.

"You were teasing me again, weren't you?" Himeko whispered weakly, already missing the more than delightful pressure on where she was weakest.

"I am sorry," the moonlight of her world answered as she placed Himeko on the rim of the Jacuzzi and reached for a dry towel. "Let me make up for you, ne?" Amusement twinkled in her sapphire eyes.

The way she dried up Himeko's soaked body would make a rock blush.

Even about fifteen minutes later, her cheeks were still burning as she sat atop the passenger seat of the Mercedes MNK 1010, which was cruising along the eastbound fast lane of one of Mahoroba's newer highways. Dressed in the clothes she wore upon leaving her apartment yesterday – they had been washed and laundered earlier in the morning – she sometimes would steal a surreptitious glance at the elegant driver of the Convertible. The princess of the Himemiya no longer wore the snowy dress in which she had appeared on stage roughly twenty-four hours ago. In its place were a long-sleeved button shirt in amber with golden threads lining her cuffs and a long pleated skirt bearing the color of driven snow. She quickly came to the conclusion that her lover looked would look gorgeous in just about anything.

"Where are we going, Chikane-chan?" she tried again. When the blue-haired girl checked her cell phone a little bit ago and was told that she had a new voicemail message, she had smiled mysteriously at Himeko and announced they were going to have to stop somewhere along the way first. No matter how hard she tried to pry the information out of her first love, the girl refused to disclose even the smallest detail.

"Meeting up with someone important, my curious angel." The pianist flashed her unreadable smile again. Elegantly, the silver vehicle left the fast lane and entered an exit that Himeko knew to lead to a neighborhood near the campus of Izumo Open University.

As the Mercedes sped smoothly along a nicely paved road flanked on either side by ancient trees with far-reaching branches and cascading shades, the peaceful city of Isesaki began to unfold in front of Himeko's amethyst eyes. It was a place for the wealthiest of Mahoroba, the elderly who had once headed multi-billion corporations, and famous politicians who had retired from their public services. Isesaki was well-known for its picturesque seaside scenery, its crime-free environment, and its quiet but friendly neighborhood. It was everybody's dream to own a house in this area.

 _Who could this person be?_ she wondered. _An old acquaintance of hers?_

The Mercedes eventually pulled into a gentle stop in front of a beautiful two-story house that boasted a frontyard luxuriantly green with neatly trimmed lawn as well as a merrily gushing fountain, clean walkways paved with worn-out stone slabs, a portico of shiny marble steps, and a pair of large mahogany doors with gilded knobs. The air of the early morning was crisp and fresh, permeated with the pleasant scents of nature. Himeko smelled the grass, the barks of the tall oak trees lining the road and casting their cool shades over the car, and an aroma too faint for her to identify. She wondered what it was.

"Come in, Himeko," the princess invited once they had climbed off the car. "He is expecting us." Not waiting for an answer, she took Himeko's hand and led her toward the house, the former's high heels clattering pleasantly on the pathway wrought of stone slabs that extended all the way to the portico.

"Welcome! Welcome!" an old voice greeted them warmly as soon as the double mahogany doors swung open and admitted a short man dressed in a button shirt, a pair of simple black trousers, and a sweater that draped across his frail shoulders. Having long bushy eyebrows as white as snow but no beard at all, he seemed to be at least in his eighties. His gray eyes were no longer sharp, his hands leather stretched over bones, and his back reminded Himeko of a turtle's shell.

"Good morning to you, sir." The Himemiya princess gave the old man an incline of her head. "Let me introduce you to my girlfriend." A smooth, delicate hand gestured at Himeko, who offered him a deep bow. "Her name is Kurusugawa Himeko, a student at your school." Sapphire eyes regarded her with love.

She blinked. _Your school? As in Izumo Open University?_

"I know who she is!" he laughed. "Come on, I was in the Concert Hall yesterday! At the front row, no less!" He clapped the genius musician's shoulder familiarly. "You have a good eye, Chikane-kun."

Heat flourished on her cheeks. _So he saw everything!_ She had a sudden urge to cover her burning face with both of her hands.

"Himeko," her princess tapped her on the shoulder, "this gentleman is Doctor Ichigaya Kazato, the current chair of the Music and Theatrical Arts department at your school. Also an old friend of my family."

"Good... good morning to you, Ichigaya-sensei!" She hastily bobbed her head one more time.

"Hello there." He flashed a toothless grin at her. "And I'm only chair until eight in the morning tomorrow. In case you haven't heard, Kurusugawa-kun, I'm retiring." He pounded a fist on his palm. "And yes, silly me! Come in, both of you. How rude of me to keep you at the door!"

The department chair led them into a living room as large as Himeko's entire apartment and a hundred times better furnished. The sofas, the burgundy carpet, the fireplace, the wall-mounted plasma TV, the large wooden table polished to the point its surface shone like mirror, and the china tea set that sat atop it proved that the owner of this house had an expensive taste.

"It has been a long time since my wife's passing that I had a guest in here," the doctor intimated in excitement. "Come. Let this old man give you a tour around the house."

The house, according to the elderly chairman, had four bedrooms and three bathrooms, one of which was built inside the master bedroom on the second floor. It was built fifty-two years ago and had seen three owners come and go before the Ichigaya couple acquired it a quarter of a century in the shadows of the past. A fire burned it down a few years back when they were off having a vacation in Western Europe, but their sons and daughters pitched in money from their own pocket and had it rebuilt swiftly even before they came back. Ichigaya Kazato professed in awe that aside from the missing albums and personal belongings, he didn't detect any difference at all. His wife even thought that the news of the fire was a joke.

"The architect, who happened to be my eldest daughter, had photographic memories," he disclosed proudly while turning the door knob to the master bedroom. "She remembered every detail!"

The door swung open, introducing Himeko and the moonlight of her world to a very large room furnished with a bed no smaller than the one they had spent last night on in the Himemiya's summer house, a huge walk-in closet, and an air conditioner that would be very much appreciated when the heat of the unholy summer sun converged on Mahoroba. Yet, none of these minor details mattered to Himeko now, for her amethyst eyes had dawned on something that dwarfed the rest in terms of beauty.

Mouth gaping wide, breath caught, and heart pounding like a drum in her chest, she felt her feet move of their own accord and moved her silently across the mater bedroom. They planted themselves upon the carpeted floor as soon as they arrived at the other side of the rectangular vastness, where she found herself placing her hands on the glass sliding door that would open to a half-moon balcony. Beyond it was a scenery so beautiful she thought it could only exist in her fondest dream.

On the backyard lay a swimming pool the water of which reflected all the glory of the morning sun into the master bedroom, decorated its walls and ceiling with waves of light. Embracing the oddly shaped body of water – all curves, it was thin at one end and wide at the other – from all sides could have been the rainbow made flesh. Roses, thousands of them blooming at the prime of their transient life, filled the large backyard as well as her awe-struck vision, every shade standing proudly in their own section. Every species of rose of the shades of red dominated the north, the white ruled the east, the golden reigned in the west, and the violet governed the south. Most astonishing of all, a significant amount of glossy black roses formed together with the pool a perfectly round disc that bore a striking resemblance to the Chinese yin-yang circle. It was a rose garden anyone would kill to have.

She turned to the chairman. "Sir, can I open the door?"

"Go ahead, child," Ichigaya Kazato assented. Standing by his side, the genius musician simply looked in her direction while wearing a fond but secretive smile on her lips.

The moment she pulled the sliding door sideways was also the one in which fresh air streamed unchecked into the room, bringing along the pleasantly powerful fragrance of the thousand roses. The very essence of the flower garden invaded Himeko's nostrils and pulled her forward. Standing on the balcony with her hands firm on the tall balustrade, she feasted her eyes on the marvelous scenery beneath. She had always adored roses. It was only regrettable that her financial ability didn't permit her to spend money on flowers, or she would have bought them regularly to decorate her room.

"They are... so beautiful," she exclaimed earnestly. _So this is what I smelled earlier!_

"Aren't they?" Ichigaya Kazato echoed his agreement. "My second son is a botanist specialized in plant genetics. Did you see the black roses down there? It took him _five years_ to find a way to breed them. It was kinda amazing to see how much money he raked from it."

The elderly man's voice faded away in Himeko's ears as she admired the miraculous work that was the garden beneath. Although she liked red roses the best, she couldn't help but feel attracted to the Maiden's Blushes, white rose blossoms round as a full moon and blessed with a pale, almost imperceptible pink color on its smooth petals. Its sublime beauty reminded her of her beloved Chikane-chan during the rare instances when her face became flushed in embarrassment. She felt heat rise in her cheeks at the powerful current of memories coursed through her mind. Those moments happened mostly during the first night they spent together, when they were still in uncharted territories, when she discovered in complete ruefulness that perhaps... she wasn't very shy while in bed with the girl she loved. Oh all the things she had done and said while losing herself in the heat of pleasure.

 _Gods, but why do I keep thinking about doing... that with her?_ she berated herself mentally and reluctantly dispelled the unladylike thoughts.

"You are blushing, my little puppy," the melodious voice of her target of affection poured into her ear while a pair of arms snaked beneath hers and pulled her into a warm, intimate embrace. "What mischief could you be up to?"

"Nothing," she denied quickly, her eyes scanning the room for the elderly man with the long and bushy eyebrows. He was nowhere insight. "How long... have I been spacing out?"

"I am not sure," answered her blue-haired princess. "I was rather... engrossed in a conversation Kazato-sensei myself before he left. But ten minutes, perhaps?"

"Why did you bring me here?" She placed her hands atop those of the genius musician and rubbed their back affectionately. Her nose reveled in the natural scent rising from her first love. The princess smelled no less fragrant than the roses in the garden. And looked even more beautiful, too. She turned around and hugged the other half of her existence tightly. With Chikane-chan here, the garden could have been empty and she would never have noticed. Perhaps... it wasn't an exaggeration to say that the pianist was a rose and Himeko was a bee that couldn't help but be drawn to her honey. The mental image made her blush.

"First of all, I need to ask him about an important issue. His house is on the way."

"Important issue?" Himeko repeated, gazing up to find a pair of sapphire shining with love.

"Regarding his retirement from his position at your school." The other girl chuckled softly. "I am going to fill it for him. The official announcement will be made tomorrow, at eight in the morning."

Himeko's jaw tried to drop to the ground.

"I had a chat with him moments before my performance yesterday," explained the princess, obviously amused by her reaction. "He was lamenting the fact that none of his faculty wanted to chair the department and that one of them just left for the prestigious Himemiya Music Academy on the other side of town."

Himeko was aware of the Academy's existence, for it was renowned as the best place in the nation to nurture artists. Since it was founded and backed by Himemiya International, its financial capabilities far surpassed those of the young and quite frugal music department of Izumo Open University. Her school... simply couldn't compete.

"So," the pianist continued, "that was why he was overjoyed hearing that I would like to join his department and, if he so wished, even agree to chair it for him."

"But..." Himeko stammered, taken aback, "but why?"

"Because I am in need of a job in Mahoroba." Her girlfriend bit her gently at the tip of her nose. It quickened her heart. "I intend to keep it too, at least until you graduate." Clear sapphire gems gazed into her amethyst. In them, she saw determination. In them, she perceived an endless ocean of love.

Tears welled in Himeko's eyes. "You didn't have to do it for me, Chikane-chan," she whispered, her voice threatening to shatter like stepped-on glasses.

"For both of us," her lover corrected in a whisper. "You told Mother you were willing to sacrifice your happiness so that I am free to travel the world." She cupped Himeko's chin and raised it gently. "I, too, am ready to give up my career to be able to stay by your side." She kissed away the round drops of salty water rolling down Himeko's cheeks. "It is always a mistake to assume that I can live without you by my side, my love." She claimed her lips and held them in a soft kiss for what seemed to be a century, during which joy broke out from her every pore like water from a burst dam. Since speaking to Himemiya Sanae, she had been trying not to think about the fact that she might have to part with her lover soon. Now, she didn't have to worry anymore. Tears thundered down her face as she wrapped her arms around her princess's neck and rose on her toes just so she could better receive the sweet moistness of her mouth.

Quite a while later, she found herself sitting at the edge of the bed, by the side of the one and only complement. Their hands were joined.

"Your uncle is not going to be pleased about this, is he?" she murmured. "I think he would have liked to have you teach at his school."

"No can do." Her lover chortled. "I want to enjoy a life where I can drive you to school every day and bring you back home once classes are over. I need to be able to see you during breaks, have lunch with you somewhere nice on campus, and maybe steal a few kisses from you when none is looking." Crystalline laughter echoed in the room. Himeko blushed. "I cannot do that while teaching at my uncle's place, can I?" She pinched Himeko's cheek. "And my Kyou-Oji-sama will not care. In fact, I think he will manage to find some pleasure in the fact that it is a challenge toward his precious Academy. Nothing could have him fired up more than that."

"Your family is odd," she said, chuckling.

"Indeed we are," the pianist agreed, her lips decorated with a beautiful smile.

"Well, now that you've settled it with Ichigaya-sensei, shouldn't we leave?" Himeko requested. "We need to get to Takako-chan's bridal shop don't we?" she reminded the love of her life.

"I thought you would like to remain here a little longer," Chikane-chan pointed out. "You seem to like this house a lot." There was a strange note in her melodious voice. It sounded like satisfaction... and mischief.

"I do," Himeko affirmed. "It's beautiful, it's nice, and it has a garden I'd kill to have. I'd feel a little sad if I had to leave it but..." She sighed in regret.

"Do not be sad," comforted the moonlight of her world. "We will come back here in the evening."

She blinked, perplexed. "Why?"

"Because we are going to spend tonight as well as the next couple of years in this house, Himeko," Chikane-chan whispered.

"I'm sorry?" was all Himeko managed.

"It is now yours." The blue-haired princess retrieved from her pocket a small ring of keys and slipped it into Himeko's grasp. "All paperwork will be done within two days. Once they are, you will officially be its owner."

"I... I don't understand" Her eyes tried to pop out of their sockets.

"I forgot to mention, but Kazato-sensei is moving to the United States to live with his sons and daughters," explained the genius musician. "When I made a call yesterday to a real estate company and informed them of my requirements, I honestly did not expect that it would deliver me to his doorsteps. I guess it is destiny. I am glad you like it, though. I would kill myself before letting you spend another second inside that rundown and unsafe apartment."

Next Himeko knew, she was weeping furiously into her palms in happiness and her lover was running a hand up and down her back to sooth her. "You are bad, Chikane-chan..." she sobbed. "You kept making me cry." She buried her drenched face in the warm bosom of the girl she loved and wept harder than ever. She was glad Ichigaya Kazato wasn't here to see this.

"I am sorry," her lover apologized. "I am also sorry because... I think I may make you cry again soon, Himeko."

"There are... more surprises?" She gazed up at the Himemiya princess while moisture continued to soak into her cheeks. Her breathing was uneven, her voice a tattered cloth.

"One more." Her lover smiled tenderly at her as she withdrew her arms and rose from the mattress. Himeko stared in stunned silence as the love of her life unbuttoned her cuff and rolled up her left sleeve. Himeko's heart stopped at the sight of a thin, seemingly fragile bracelet encircling the wrist of the taller girl. The accessory, carved from Chinese jade and meticulously crafted into an elegant pattern of roses and vines, bore the shade of lavender and could easily be the most beautiful object she ever laid her eyes on.

"Himeko," her sweetheart called in a love-soaked voice that made her weak. "I know I should have given you a ring for this special occasion, but there is no ring in this world that is worth more or records a richer history than this." She slipped the bracelet from her wrist and held it in front of her. "Its name is the _Thornless Rose_ , a five-hundred-year-old heirloom of the Renna Clan handed to me by my mother. She often joked that it might need to be renamed, for she claimed such a thing did not exist." She paused and took a deep breath. "She is mistaken. You are the one and only rose in the world that possesses no thorns."

The other half of her existence sank to one knee. "My precious rose, will you marry me and make me the happiest woman in the world?" The world stopped its perpetual spin. Time deposited its final grain into the bottom chamber of the hourglass.

Himeko's hands flew to clutch at her mouth. Heat rushed to her head, threatening to incinerate anything enclosed within. Her ears buzzed madly with the words she just heard. Her muscles wanted to turn into jelly. Then as reality crashed in on her, she saw for the first time the serious expression on the princess's gorgeous countenance and the hopeful gleam in her sapphire gems. Chikane-chan wasn't making fun of her. Chikane-chan wasn't teasing her. Chikane-chan truly wished to wed her, build a family with her inside this beautiful house, and take their time raising a couple of kids.

Trembling, she fell onto both knees on the carpeted floor and hugged the beautiful full moon of her life as tightly as she could. On her sweetheart's gentle shoulder, she cried and cried and cried until she managed to pause for a few seconds to utter a strangled, nearly inaudible yet heartfelt _"Yes."_ As soon as the word left her mouth, she knew the most important decision of her life had been properly made. Still overwhelmed by the tumultuous rage of emotions in her heart, she sensed the genius musician embraced her and, shockingly enough, burst into joyous tears while brokenly repeating only one thing for the next several minutes.

 _"I love you, Himeko."_

* * *

"Ojou-sama!" the voice of the head butler called beyond the door of Renna Akemi's bedroom. "Ojou-sama! Is everything okay?" The man had yet to say anything different since he followed her all the way to the second floor and refused to leave. A decade older than the Mayor of Mahoroba himself, the man had watched her grow up and cared for her like a father when her biological one wasn't nearby. She liked him, she respected him, and she often heeded his words. Only that she wasn't exactly keen on doing so at the moment. In fact, she wanted him to get the hell away from her room right now.

 _"Leave me alone!"_ she yelled.

Still in the violet dress she had worn to attend lunch with the Himemiya and reeking of sweat, she was lying on her stomach atop her bed with her face buried in a pillow, desperately trying to calm herself down. The problem was that she couldn't possibly do so with a persistent old man standing outside her door and demanding that she opened it just so he could be ascertained that she was alright. She couldn't blame him for being worried – he did see her trip three times on the hem of her dress – but she wished the man would just give her time to... get a grip of herself and recover from the events that had transpired last night.

 _Gods above, look at the mess I've made!_ she groaned exasperatedly in her head, ignoring the furious banging on her door. Annoying as he might seem at the moment, the old head butler was actually the least of her woes. _How could I... how could I have done such a thing to her?_ Her hands tightened around the linen beddings, ready to rip them into pieces.

Two days ago Renna Akemi was introduced to Kouzuki Takako at the birthday party of the girl she _believed_ she loved. Yesterday, she ran into the flame-haired tomboy at the basement parking lot of the Himemiya Plaza, where she lost control over herself and cried her heart out in the curves of the girl's arms. Next she knew, she was sitting in a bar in Downtown and disclosing her painful story to someone she was barely acquainted. One thing leading to another, she... she and her boyish companion were lying beneath the starry skies and doing things she never even _dreamed_ doing with her ex-girlfriend.

In defiance of the coolness of the air in her room, heat suffused her cheeks and continued to gather there to the point she thought the pillow beneath her face was going to burst into flames.

She didn't regret meeting Kouzuki Takako. The flame-haired girl was a kind person with a nice sense of humor. She managed to lift Akemi's spirit when she was still wallowing in self-pity and sadness. She made Akemi laugh when she thought happiness had forever passed her by and would never come back. She defended Akemi's name when she was insulted by the person who had cheated on her and destroyed her hope. She brought Akemi to her _"secret"_ hideout and presented to her a view of Mahoroba she never thought existed.

There, her boyish companion had confessed to Akemi her deepest feelings, what she herself jokingly named "ulterior motive." There, she had received from Akemi a kiss on the lips that was meant to be a gesture of gratitude and appreciation, but not acceptance. How was she to expect that the meeting of their lips would revive the memories long buried in the darkest depths of her heart? How was she to predict that a simple touch of their mouths would allow her to _"see"_ just how intense the feelings Takako harbored toward her were? And how was she to know beforehand that the urges she had since dating Naoyuki, not once sated, would take control and compel her to do what she did?

She sighed.

With all said and done, she didn't regret relinquishing her maidenhood to the flame-haired girl. The experience... had been more than just satisfying. She had seen it numerous times in various forms of the media, she had heard about it often enough from her classmates, and she had caught herself wondering about it more than once. Yet, she had also failed to fathom how wonderful it was to make love to a person of the same sex. In fact, it was so amazing that she couldn't help but ask for more – vocally even! – as she and her boyish companion became drawn helplessly into the raging whirlpool that was the pleasures of the flesh. More than once she thought she would die from the unending rush of pure physical bliss. More than once she was lost in the heat of the moment and forgot that the two of them were in a place where they could have been seen.

Renna Akemi bit on her underlip so hard she nearly drew blood. No what she was brooding over wasn't the fact that she had gone at it for hours on end with a girl she barely knew. No, it was the fact that what she had done in the aftermath was unforgivable.

 _The light of the morning sun rising at the eastern horizon drummed on the eyelids of Renna Akemi and instantly woke her up. Eyes fluttering open, she found herself lying on one side atop the smooth grass bed of Kouzuki Takako's secret hideout... and cuddled tightly in the latter's loving arms, neither wearing a stitch._

 _Her heart shot into her throat as the recollection of their reckless abandon filled in the holes of her memories. Panic seized her. Before, when she started dating Naoyuki openly, her father's enemies had bombarded him on the media with ruthless criticism. Every time she saw them targeting him just because of a choice she made, she felt her heart clench. Her guilt only became worse in light of the horrible break-up six months ago, for she realized that she had made her beloved father suffer for completely nothing at all. She had vowed to never repeat her mistake. She had sworn to the Gods that never again would she bring shame to her family._

 _But she just had to go and do_ this

 _Dominating her mind now was the fear that some passer-by would discover her in this unclothed state and unleashed the firestorm anew on the Mayor's political career. She could see it already in the headline of the Mahoroba Daily, a conservative newspaper that was deeply critical of her father's job._ "Mayor's daughter committing indecency in plain view." "Mayor's daughter in yet another scandalous same-sex relationship." "Mayor's daughter at it again." _She could hear the crumbling sound of the Renna's dignity, its fatal blow dealt by her primal impulses._

 _Trembling in fear within an inch of her life, Akemi quickly pried herself out of her boyish companion's arms, jumped into her rumpled clothes, and ran away as though hell was on her heels._

 _It was a lucky thing that the Renna's manor was on the other side of the hill and that it was still too early in the morning for her to encounter unwanted attention along the way. She managed to get back home without any incident or accident. A few servants caught her walking into the manor in a tired fashion that didn't really fit her usual image, but they simply bowed to her and went about attending to their own business._

 _She had been very relieved... until she stepped inside her room and sat down on her bed. The emptiness of her private chamber summoned the guilt and the horror that eventually staked through her heart._

I should never have left her there alone! _a voice screamed at the back of her head._ It's very chilly around this area in the early morning. What if she caught a cold? I should have found something to put over her before I left!

 _Her hands curled into fists. A strong shiver rippled across her existence. A chill slithered down her spine. From that point onward, her mind began convoluting into the realm of graver and far more disturbing possibilities._

What if someone found her when she was still sleeping? _The train of thoughts sped forward into the darkness. Akemi's vision grew bleak. Her blood ran cold._ What if it were a man? What if he saw how beautiful she was and... _A lump of something got stuck in her throat, crushed against her cartilages, and suffocated her._

 _"Oh Gods, no!" She bound to her feet and hurried out of her room. Although she had left her Lexus in the Himemiya Plaza, which she intended to retrieve soon, she had others waiting for her in the garage. She meant to hop on one of them, raced down to the same spot Kouzuki Takako had parked her Highlander last night, and made sure that nothing had happened to the one to whom she had yielded her maidenhood._

 _Her journey, however, was cut short at the entrance of the manor by the head butler himself._

 _"Ojou-sama, a girl who claimed to be your friend you came by," he announced._

 _Akemi blinked. "Who is it?"_

 _"She left no name," said the old man in the butler suit. "If it is of any help for identification, miss, her hair is red. And she dressed like a boy!" Disdain rankled in his words._

Kouzuki-san! _She exhaled deeply in relief._ She's okay!

 _"Oh, and she wanted to give you this." He produced a purse from his pocket. "Said you forgot it in her car. Then she left. Rather hurriedly, I'd say."_

 _A strange emotion came over her. Last night, the pretty tomboy had claimed that she liked Akemi. For goodness's sake, she had spent a great deal of effort cheering Akemi up. She couldn't have just come by to deliver the purse and then driven off without saying a word to Akemi. Something was wrong. She sensed an invisible hand fastening around her throat._

 _"Did she have... any message for me?" she asked the butler._

 _The old man shook her head. "No, Ojou-sama."_

 _"How... how did she look when she handed the purse to you?"_

 _"Funny you should ask." He eyed her curiously. "I would say that she seemed a little shaken. Maybe depressed and a little angry, perhaps? She wasn't very polite, mind you." He sniffed loudly._

Depressed? _Her heart sank into her stomach._ Angry? Gods... it's because of me, isn't it?

 _Dazed, she walked back inside, not really watching where she was going._

 _She hates me now..._ Akemi realized, depressed. _The only girl in the world who likes me for who I am... hates me now..._ She cried silently into her pillow. The banging on the door had stopped, indicating that the head butler had finally given up. She should have been glad that he did. She should have welcomed the absence of the source of her irritation. The only problem was that she couldn't bring herself to. She was so empty inside at the moment she would prefer having the man pounding on her door again. _What's happening to me?_

The brief yet meaningful conversation Kouzuki Takako had with Akemi's first love surfaced in her mind.

 _Rather ironic that someone I was introduced to two days ago knows me better than most people did,_ she thought bitterly. Her boyish companion couldn't have been more correct when she said that despite her strong façade, Akemi was just a fragile girl who needed love and comfort just like other girls did. To the people around her, she was first and foremost the daughter to the current Mayor of Mahoroba, the only person to have held the office for six consecutive terms. She knew everything she did would reflect on her father, so she had always done her best to act in such a way that she wouldn't bring dishonor to his name and high office.

It had been difficult. Renna Akemi was born fragile and emotional. She entered the world without the ability to confront and subdue her inner tumults. Even so, she tried to grow into a person she was not. The mask of composure she wore on her face everyday concealed a nature completely unsuitable for the legal world. The strong personality she tried so murderously to promote was in fact a flimsy paper armor that guarded an unstable heart. Her public image was that of a man, unflappable in the face of adversary, but her soul was a girl who simply wanted to lead her life the way she truly wanted.

It was the same in love. During the time she went out with Naoyuki, she had always felt like a man as she conformed herself to suit the girl's taste. She loved her... but she couldn't deny that her own needs were being ignored and forgotten. The relationship with Naoyuki had left her at best unfulfilled. She didn't want to play the role of a man. She needed something fundamentally different. She wished so dearly to be pampered, to be spoiled, and to be adored by the person she loved.

Her first love never cared to give her these things.

Unlike Kouzuki Takako. The flame-haired girl, who seemed to be strong at heart, made her laugh so easily, she cheered her up so effortlessly, and she spoke about herself so honestly that Akemi knew the pretty tomboy _was_ everything she had tried to become without much of success. For the first time since... forever, she felt loved.

 _But no more,_ she grieved. _Kouzuki-san probably doesn't want anything to do with me now._

She sat up straight on the bed.

 _I have to apologize to her,_ she decided. _She may not forgive me... but I must tell her I'm sorry for what I did._ She knew where the pretty and boyish girl was today. This very afternoon, Oogami Souma and Saotome Makoto, her friends from the dance class, were going to get married in a church. On the invitation they gave her was the address of the place. If she could find it now...

Overwhelmed with emotions, she rummaged through her belongings. She knocked everything out of their places, she emptied her bags and purses and briefcases, she made a mess out of her closet, and she eventually turned her room into a battlefield just to remember in ruefulness that she had placed the invitation inside a drawer of a table by her bed.

Once she had secured what she needed, she came to the conclusion that she couldn't leave for the wedding like this. Her clothes were rumpled, her hair looked like a bird's nest, and she smelled as though she had just come back from a five-mile marathon.

She needed a bath.

Quickly stripping down to her skin, she crossed the room to get to the bathroom. She froze midway, however, as she saw her reflection in the tall mirror hanging on the wall. She blushed. Decorating her body were red marks that were the result of last night's abandon. They were there on the skin on her throat, her shoulders, her full breasts, and her cleavage. They even trailed all the way across her flat abdomen, heading lower still toward the sensitive region between her thighs, where her ardent lover had spent a significant amount of time adoring and worshipping her precious flower. She blushed harder at the images streaming through her head and the amazing sensations that every inch of her skin could still recall. Kouzuki Takako was quite gentle during the lovemaking... but she had proved that she could be as rough and passionate as Akemi could have wished her to. The love-bites, which had sent her into pleasurable spasms at the time of their creation, were the proof.

Her gaze fell to her hand. This very part of her had learned more of that pretty girl's curvaceous frame more than any other. It knew very well the firmness of her chest, it was deeply acquainted with the arousingly taut muscles on various parts of her slender body, and it was intimately familiar with a place where tight and well-defined abdomen gave way to delightful silkiness and softness.

Her breathing quickened and shortened at her thumb inadvertently traced the contours of her fore and middle fingers. These had measured her boyish companion's amazing depth, they had reveled in the liquid flame that eased their access, and they had discovered that deep inside, Kouzuki Takako was weaker than water, smooth as silk, and tighter than a man's grip.

Hastily clearing her head of the images, she went inside her private bathroom and took a scalding-hot shower. Emerging from the steam-filled chamber fifteen minutes afterwards, she chose a dress fit for a wedding and quickly put it on. Not bothering with the make-up, she brushed her hair, took what she needed, and went straight to the garage.

No more than ten minutes had passed when a silver Audi left the mansion and cruised down the serpentine road that would lead her to town. With the windows down and the winds streamed unchecked into the car, she felt her heart throbbing in excitement and at the prospect of meeting the flame-haired girl again. She wasn't sure whether she was falling in love. She only knew for a certainty that she needed to see Kouzuki Takako as much as she had wanted to come to the dance class just so she could admire Kurusugawa Himeko's natural charms. As the car emerged from the lower end of the empty road, she gently guided it into the highway, where she pressed on the gas pedal and had it speed into a silver streak toward where the wedding was being held.

* * *

"No, Miho, I can't leave the shop for one whole week," Kouzuki Takako flatly refused a pair of overly excited Nakashima Miho and Igarashi Aiko, her fellow permanent members in the Fanatic Trio. The three of them were standing in their shoulderless dresses, each of a different color, in front of a Catholic church in the west side of Mahoroba. It had a name, but since she wasn't chummy with the either the religious folks or their establishment, she didn't really mind forgetting it. They were all the same anyway, so why should she bother? Besides, she had heavier... issues occupying her mind.

Tiredly, she eyed the stream of guests, all dressed formally for this special occasion, milling into the church. Balloons of every possible shade filled her vision. Nylon strings hanging from the church's highest point to the grassy ground hung just as many colorful tiny flags that happened to be an idea from the bride's mom. On the left breast of the clothes of every visitor pinned a fresh rose that was distributed at the entrance to this very old religious establishment. White designated relatives on the groom's side, yellow the bride's, and pink for friends of either or both. Because the Trio held a special place in Saotome Makoto's heart, they were allowed the privilege of the purple roses. Since Kurusugawa Himeko, who should be fussing over the bride at the moment, occupied an even higher position in the favorite list, she was awarded the vivid red rose that only the soon-to-be-married couple had.

 _A red rose!_ Takako resisted the urge to laugh. _As if I didn't know it signified that both of them were head over heels in love with her at one time._ The only difference between them was that Souma's devotion to the golden-haired girl was out in the open for all to make fun of and Makoto's so well hidden the Photography Major was never aware. Takako's mouth tightened at the thought. _Perhaps I should never have revealed it to_ her _, either._ She sighed and pushed the bad memories out of her head.

The air was cool, the sky a seamless cerulean blue, and a sun even gentler that it usually was. Everything promised a beautiful day without any weather-related mishap waiting to happen. It was going to be a perfect wedding for the track-and-field athlete. She had wanted one. Takako would give her one despite the fact that her horribly sour mood was completely unfit for it.

"But why not, Taka-chi?" the green-haired Miho whined. "Let's go and relive the fun we had in high school! You, Ai-chi, and I didn't get to hang out often anymore now that you're so busy with your family business." Aiko nodded so vehemently in agreement her nerdy glasses nearly fell off her face.

"Of course, by fun you meant _'ruining their honeymoon'_ ," Takako pointed out. "There's a limit to jokes, you know. I'm sure as hell not tailing them all the way to Paris just to be an eyesore! Leave the poor couple alone!"

"But it's only for one week, Takako!" Aiko insisted. "Their honeymoon lasts one whole month! They can take it! Besides," she added judiciously, "they can't be having fun without us poking a stick in their wheel, can they?"

"You leave me out of this," Takako said in a dry voice. "I don't want our newlywed couple to run all three of us into the ground. Literally."

"You'll be okay." Miho giggled. "You have a black belt in Karatedo. Mako-chi can't do anything to you, I'm sure. Don't you think so too, Ai-chi?" the girl with the hideously dyed green hair turned to her roommate, who grinned back at her. They both looked like teenaged boys about to cause mischief.

"Kouzuki-san?" a soft, familiar voice spoke from behind her back. Without turning, she knew that the voice belonged to Renna Akemi, the girl who had spent a night with her back in her secret hideout. "May I... have a word with you?" She sounded hesitant, anxious, and afraid.

 _So I'm back to being_ just _Kouzuki-san now?_ she thought in bitterness. She didn't move. Her fellow Trio members exchanged surprised looks.

"Kouzuki-san?" A note of desperation entered the future lawyer's voice now. "Please?"

"Um... Taka-chi?" Miho decided to speak up, her words racked with uneasiness. Suddenly, Takako heard a sharp intake of breath that could've come from none other than the daughter to the Mayor. "Ai-chi and I are going to check on Mako-chi for a little bit. See you later." As soon as she finished, she grabbed her bespectacled roommate by the wrist and practically dragged her toward the church, leaving Takako stranding stiffly where she was and not knowing how to proceed.

A very soft hand slipped around one of hers. "Taka?" That one simple word melted her resolve. Sighing, she turned and found a Renna Akemi dressed in a black satin dress that conformed elegantly to the curves of her body and an undoubtedly expensive white jacket that had long sleeves but no buttons whatsoever. The twenty-year-old didn't have any makeup on today... but somehow she was even prettier without them. She smelled of shampoo and body lotion. Her short black hair was still soaked with moisture. She looked like she came straight here from a bath.

"Yes?" Takako murmured finally.

"Um..." the girl she liked hesitated. "Um... you look very nice today. This indigo dress suits you."

"Thank you," she said politely.

Uncomfortable silence ensued.

"I... I'm sorry about this morning," the short-haired girl spoke finally, her shiny black eyes scanning the surrounding for anybody who might eavesdrop. She took a deep breath and continued once she was sure that none on the church's ground was interested in their conversation, "I know you're angry with me, and I don't really deserve forgiveness, but I just want you to know that..."

"Hold on," Takako interjected gently. "Why am I angry with you?"

"You aren't?" Akemi blinked at her, shocked. "But... but why aren't you?" She flushed slightly. "I mean I would understand if you were." She sounded like she was repeating herself. "I shouldn't have left you there by yourself. I should have stayed until you woke. I could have said goodbye to you at least. But I didn't..." She trailed off. "I'm a horrible person, Taka." She gazed up at Takako with a pair of sad puppy eyes.

 _So she came here to apologize for that?_ She chuckled softly. _How cute!_ "Don't beat yourself up because of it," she said. "I'm not mad at you." She gave a reassuring smile to the daughter to the Mayor, who was currently dumbfounded by what she just said.

"But my butler said you looked a little angry..." Renna Akemi managed.

"With myself," Takako clarified, her smile unwavering on her lips. "I thought that I scared you away because I moved too fast. I blamed myself for not having any self-control at all. I was so ashamed of what I did that I didn't even have the nerve to speak to you directly when I drove by your house. I just... assumed that you didn't want anything to do with me anymore." She grinned ruefully. "To tell you the truth, I thought you came here to tell me that you wanted me to stay away from you forever."

"No, no!" The twenty-year-old shook her head vigorously. "That isn't true! Please believe me!"

"It's not?" Takako repeated, sensing her muscles soften in relief.

"No!" the other girl reiterated fervently. "I... ran away this morning because I was afraid someone would see me in... such a state. I was afraid it was going to hurt my dad's career. I was in such a panic I didn't stop to think. I'm sorry I made you think that you were at fault. Please forgive me, Taka."

"There's nothing to forgive," she pointed out, amused. "I'm really surprised, though," she took a step forward, reducing the distance between them to a mere few inches. The scent of freshness and the fragrance of shampoo and body lotion filled her nostrils. The sight of a flustered but irresistibly cute Renna Akemi filled her vision. The way the girl who was one year her senior gazed up into her amber eyes quickened her heart. "I didn't think you'd get so worked up over the _possibility_ that I might be mad at you."

"I couldn't help it," the short-haired girl replied in ruefulness. "You were so nice to me."

"Only because I want you to like me." Takako smiled.

"Well..." the Mayor's daughter swallowed, "you succeeded." Her dark eyes were lowered to the ground. "I didn't know when it happened... but it's true that I've become very fond of you, Taka."

"Really?" Wonderment seized her.

"But Taka," said the girl she liked, "I'm not even sure that the feelings I have for you are what I might have for a friend... or something more than that." Noticing the shadow of disappointment that stole across Takako's face, she added hurriedly, "But if you don't mind, Taka, why don't we start out as friends and get to know one another first? Given time, I... I may just fall in love with such a charming person like you. For all I know... I might already have..." Toward the end, her voice grew so low Takako had to strain her ears to make out what was being said. Once she did, she blushed hotly enough for a piece of coal in a furnace.

"I'd love to be your friend, Renna-san," she murmured.

The future lawyer pouted. "Don't call me by my family name, Taka."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, "Akemi."

"That's better." The girl she liked beamed up at her. "Say, have you ever visited my school?" She paused and continued at a slight shake of Takako's head, "Then, would you like to um... have lunch with me there tomorrow? I have a two-hour break between classes so... I'd love to show you around."

"That sounds wonderful," Takako said, already looking forward to having lunch with the pretty girl. Good thing that the wedding and the feast that followed it were going to last until late in the evening, or it would become a very, very long day.

"Someone's calling for you, Taka." The girl one year her senior gestured toward her left. For some reason, her face was red and her dark eyes were shining with a strange light.

"Oh?" She turned her head and looked just to find an emptiness surrounding a tall oak tree. The moment of surprise had barely passed when she felt something soft and moist press again her left cheek, linger there for a brief second, and vanish as swiftly as it had arrived. Turning back, she saw the pretty future lawyer standing with her back facing her. The girl's ears were very red.

 _Did she just... smooch me?_ Her hand rose to touch her cheek. It still remembered the pressure very well. She suddenly had an urge to squeal.

"What's that for?" she asked breathlessly.

"Nothing," answered the future lawyer in a soft, affectionate voice. "I... just felt like it. Besides, friends... kiss one another often, don't they?" Hands folded behind her back, she slightly turned her head and glanced at Takako shyly over her shoulder. Never before had she seen more adorable. Never before had Takako felt so drunk.

"Depends on how you define _'often'_ ," she declared quietly, "and also where you kiss. Personally, I don't have any objection if a friend of mine kisses me on my lips. In every five minutes, for that matter." She took a step forward and placed her hands on her friend's shoulders. Slowly, she turned her around and smiled down at a beautiful beet-red face. "Do you?"

She never got her answer.

"Taka-chi!" hollered Nakashima Miho, who was standing at the entrance to the church. "It's time! Come in!" She sounded giddy with excitement.

"Well, I guess we'd have to put off the debate then," said Akemi, her voice racked with relief.

"You could have just said _'Yes,'_ you know." Takako grinned at her.

The future lawyer turned her head sideways, refusing to look her in the eye. "But I don't want to." Her mouth's movements were almost imperceptible, her voice so soft that had Takako stood an inch further away from her, she couldn't have caught it. She didn't think that was meant to be heard.

Laughing, she took Akemi's hand and led her toward the old religious building. Half way there, she found her arm linked with that of the Mayor's daughter and her lips wearing a blissful smile. It might be her wishful thinking at work, but she believed that their _"friendship"_ was going to change into something more... sooner than Renna Akemi had imagined.

* * *

Although Himemiya Chikane always exuded a cold exterior that very well reflected her personality and displayed an icy face only softened in the presence of her first and last love, although she was often _"praised"_ by the odder members of her Clan that she was strong enough in willpower for ten men, she never felt like one. She certainly _did_ so now, wearing this kind of outfit and standing in front of a large assembly of people old and young as well as unattractive and pretty, many of which were staring in her direction in what she was sure to be undisguised interest. Eyeing the clothes she wore up and down, she resisted the urge to sigh.

Since she was the _"best man"_ of this wedding ceremony, most of the feminine details of her body had been eclipsed by the tuxedo suit she wore. With her ample chest bound tight, uncomfortably so, and hidden beneath a snowy pleated shirt that was worn over by a black jacket with stiff shoulders, with the curves of her lower frame carefully concealed by a trouser of the same color, made from expensive satin like the jacket, she looked a blade-slender man. The fact that her face was now extremely icy due to her sizzling irritation and that her flowing blue hair was tied into a tidy tail only enhanced the masculine effect. Kouzuki Takako had called Chikane an overly beautiful man and declared in absolute hilarity that she was going to steal many, many hearts from the people attending the ceremony.

She was not too sure about the stealing part, but it was evident that a great deal of women, young and middle-aged alike, were eyeing her like cats would a saucer of milk. The men, on the other hand, were eyeing her as though she were an enemy.

Luckily enough, there were people who paid virtually no attention to her, and they all sat at the front row. One of them was the High Priest of the Oogami Shrine, whom she identified through his affable countenance and his constant sneezing and coughing into a handkerchief. Two other men flanked him, one of them possessing a demeanor even colder than hers and the other looked like a gorilla with his huge muscled upper body and his unruly hair. Seated to his right was a diminutive girl with an unfading feline grin on her lips who could have been fresh out of middle school.

Himeko's friends were seated on the other side of the aisle. The green-haired Nakashima Miko was whispering something into the bespectacled Igarashi Aiko's ears while Kouzuki Takako, the planner of this wedding, was conversing with a person Chikane did not think she would see. Renna Akemi, her distant cousin, was sitting to the flame-haired girl's immediate left, listening attentively and smiling affectionately. She did not seem to notice that Chikane was standing just a few feet away.

 _These two barely knew each other,_ she mused. _When did they become such good friends?_

Filing the question away, she turned her attention back to the closed doors of the church and sighed. _Why are they not here yet?_ She had grown so accustomed to Himeko's presence during the last two days that her absence irked her like a needle would.

"I know how you feel... but do calm down, Himemiya, please," advised Oogami Souma, who was standing in his snowy bridegroom suit with her at the altar. "You'll be able to see her soon."

She gave the man a cool, but impressed look. He had hit bull's eyes. He had figured out why she was so restless. It all came down to the fact that she had not been able to be close to, or even see, her precious fiancée – the word pumped a staggering amount of heat to her face – since arriving at this church. She blamed Kouzuki Takako for this. The flame-haired girl, a mischief maker to the core, was the reason to her almost insufferable irritation. Using the excuse that the best man must tend to the groom while the Maid of Honor, the bride, she had ensured that Chikane and the sunlight of her world stayed out of each other's sight for the last two hours.

 _I agreed to wear this tuxedo because I wanted Himeko to see,_ she thought in dismay. _I did not expect it to turn me into a painted target in front of these... people._ She swallowed down the adjective she had intended to describe the hungry-looking females in the audience. Gods, but it would seem that they really thought Chikane was a man. She intended to stay away from them once the ceremony was over.

"It is time," the minister declared coolly. "They should be here any moment."

In her opinion, this wedding was peculiar in that not only did it have a girl for the role of the best man, it was also presided over by a female minister. Girochi Miyako, now imperious and dignified in a white robe in front of the wooden altar, was a woman in her late twenties with a dark tan, a pair of rectangular glasses, and a hammer-strong golden stare that could knock a man off his feet at ten paces. Oogami Souma claimed that she was a close friend to his blood brother, Tsubasa, but shut up upon being inquired as to how close. He had seemed embarrassed for some reason.

"And they're here at last," said Miyako, whom Chikane was not sure how to address.

"At last," echoed Oogami Souma, anticipation plain in his voice.

The vaulting double doors to the church creaked open at the same time the string quartet seated to the right of the altar began playing the first notes of _"The Wedding March."_ In the solemn atmosphere brought upon this assembly by the stream of music, a somber procession was ushered inside. Leading it was a flower girl, no more than seven of age, who sprinkled rose petals into the air after every step she took. Following her closely was a middle-aged man with more gray than black in his hair and the bride herself. Her right hand held like a fragile egg by her father, Saotome Makoto looked a different person in her snowy wedding dress, with a bridal train held by a page boy no older than the flower girl, and a near-transparent veil over her face.

Chikane's heart stopped beating, realizing that the emotions welling up so rapidly in her should be no different from those of the groom.

In her tuxedo, she watched in amazement as the Maid of Honor, also the girl to whom she proposed this morning, appeared at the entrance to the church. Since the golden-haired girl already fitted her dress long ago, Chikane never had a chance to see her in her designated outfit while they were in Kouzuki Takako's bridal shop. Maybe it was a good thing... for had she seen the sunlight of her world then, the last two hours would have been far more agonizing and much more unbearable.

 _She is so... beautiful!_ she marveled silently. She felt drunk from the mere sight of her fiancée, she felt overwhelmed with admiration for her first love's transcending beauty, and she felt a powerful daze grip her and refuse to let go.

Her first love was clad in a coral-pink velvet dress that sensually hugged her body, showing off her every curve in an extremely elegant way. Low-cut, the outfit left the angel's arms and shoulders bare yet fully embraced her chest and revealed no cleavage. Her face, marred by the shade of shyness at the moment, was angelically stunning even in the absence of makeup, eyeliner, and lip gloss. Her hair fell like a waterfall made entirely of sunlight over her shoulders, mesmerizingly stirring in the kind winds blowing in from the entrance and blessing the solemn atmosphere residing over the assembly with their quiet song. Her slender neck was graced by a choker of the same color and material as her dress and bearing a small garnet that could not really compare with the amethyst in her eyes in terms of brightness or size. Her seashell pendant hung in front of her chest, next to a striking red rose and staying very still as she followed the procession toward the altar. Hands holding a big bouquet of various kinds of flowers, she stood out from the rest of the assembly like the sun amidst the wandering clouds.

 _Gods above, if she is already this gorgeous in the outfit of a Maid of Honor,_ Chikane thought, amazed, _how would she look in a wedding gown?_ The very image blinded her imagination, intensified the heaving of her chest, and turned her breaths into ragged puffs of hot steam that seared the insides of her nose.

When she finally snapped out of her reverie, the string quartet had stopped playing and the bride's father had already delivered her to the altar and taken his seat next to his wife at the front row. The little angel now stood one step below that of Saotome Makoto, her face deeply flushed, her amethyst gems gazing in Chikane's direction in unconcealed admiration and eternal longing, her lips curved up into a shy smile that greatly augmented her natural beauty. Her body suffused with love, Chikane placed a hand on her heart and offered in her beautiful fiancée a bow deeper than any she ever gave.

The guests were clearly surprised, judging from the soft gasps they voiced, but they raised no objections to Chikane's unprecedented behavior. They looked more or less curious, in fact, as the golden-haired Maid of Honor held the bouquet with one hand, slightly lifted the hem of her coral-pink dress, and dipped a curtsy more awkward than graceful yet utterly adorable nevertheless. Blushing hotly and glancing at the guests in mild embarrassment, she straightened up in a manner no more elegant but no less lovable. She made Chikane's heart race. She only regretted that she could not cross the altar so that she could pull the love of her life into her arms and gave her a kiss.

She tried not to. Since all her attention was on the sunlight of her world, she never knew how the bride and the groom reacted except that both were looking at her with unreadable faces. She paid them no mind and returned to thriving in the loving amethyst gaze of her first love.

The entire chamber fell quiet as the sacred moment came upon them.

"Lambs of God," intoned the female minister, her voice ringing loud and clear beneath the vaulted ceiling of the church, "you have gathered here today to act as immortal witnesses to the holy matrimony between Oogami Souma and Saotome Makoto, the couple blessed by divine will who stand before you now in this house of God. Before the sacred ritual takes place, I shall ask those who objects to their union to stand and speak. Raise your voice now or forever hold your peace."

Miyako scanned the rows of guests, her golden stare a force unto itself. None even dared even breathe hard. The woman nodded in satisfaction and turned to the soon to be wed couple standing in front of the wooden altar. Atop its surface stood seven tall candles that were lit and radiating a faint fragrant scent. On the back wall of the chamber hung a large cross with Christ crucified to its arms. From the windows on high, the light of the noon sun was streaming in unchecked and gathered itself along the outline of the hallowed founder of Christianity and the cornerstone of the Church. The entire scenery invoked in Chikane an alien and inexplicable sense of reverence.

"Answer me in earnest, Oogami Souma and Saotome Makoto," commanded the minister. "Have you come here today of your own free well to give yourself to one another in marriage?"

"I have," spoken the groom. His bride took no longer to echo the same answer and with a voice no less reverent.

"Will you honor yourselves as husband and wife for the rest of your life?" recited Girochi Miyako. "Will you accept the children given unto you from God, love them, and raise them according to the laws of Christ and the Church He built?"

"We will," answered the couple in unison.

"Give me your right hands." The darkly tanned woman held out hers for Souma and Makoto to place theirs on, their fingertips touched. Her golden stare settled on the boy in the white tuxedo and made him swallow nervously.

He took a deep breath. "I do." The answer came out strong, confident, and full of conviction. He brought a smile to his bride's lips. Beneath the veil, she seemed to be swelling with pride and happiness.

Miyako turned to the girl in the wedding dress. "Saotome Makoto, do you take Oogami Souma as your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, in sickness or in health, for richer or poorer, to love and cherish until death do you part?"

"With all my heart, I do," she proclaimed in a voice that matched her words.

"Maid of Honor, will you bring us the rings?"

Himemiya Chikane and the other half of her existence stepped forward and met each other half-way at the altar. Smiling, she produced from her pocket a small box that was entrusted to her before hand. With her vacant hand she gently took her girlfriend's outreached one, drawing from her a surprised gasp, and placed the box into Himeko's grasp just before she closed the latter's fingers. She then surprised the witnesses by bending down and placing a light, solemn kiss on her lover's hand.

Chikane stepped backward in the _ooh's_ and _aah's_ of the guests, allowing her blushing fiancée to open the box and present its content, a pair of simple gold bands, to the minister. The bespectacled woman eyed the Photography Major wryly as she dipped her hand lightly into a small porcelain bowl of holy water on the altar and gave her blessing by sprinkled the liquid over the couple's hands as well as their rings.

"You shall exchange rings," she intoned.

Oogami Souma took one from the box. The gleam in his eyes saying more about his commitment for the girl than his words ever could, he slipped the gold band around the ring finger of her left hand, smiled tenderly at her, and gave her his. Uttering no more, she took the remaining band and placed it around his finger.

"What God has joined, none shall tear asunder," Girochi Miyako declared. "In the blessing of the Lord, I pronounce you husband and wife." Her face and voice softened considerably as she offered the couple an indulgent smile. "The groom may kiss the bride."

Oogami Souma stepped forward, lifted the veil, and drew Saotome Makoto into a kiss in the thunderous cheers and applauds of the guests. Oogami Kazuki, who had managed to hold back his sneezing during the ceremony, shed his happy tears without reserve. The cold-faced man next to him looked like he was trying his best not to. The gorilla of a man was clapping as hard as he could, producing noises that resembled gunshots, while the diminutive girl to his right jumped up and down and thrust her tiny hands up in the air.

Face brimming with unspeakable joy, the groom swept his bride into his arms and carried her toward the entrance of the church. The guests, still cheering and applauding, rose from their seats to follow them.

"You must be very happy for them," Chikane told a silently weeping Himeko, whose delicate hands were scrubbing ineffectively at her eyes.

"I am," the golden-haired Maid of Honor confirmed in a sob.

Smiling indulgently, Chikane pulled the sunlight of her world into her arms and hugged her tightly. "You are more beautiful than ever today," she whispered into her ears. "I can hardly wait for you to don a wedding dress." She kissed her forehead lovingly, eliciting from her a low coo full of delight. "I can hardly wait for the day I become yours in both name and heart."

"Me too, Chikane-chan," her fiancée whispered back before she rose on her toes and bestowed on Chikane's lips a deep, passionate kiss that curled her toes.

"Now," she breathed once their mouths had parted, "shall we come out to see who it was that had caught the bouquet from the bride?"

"Gladly." The sunlight of her world smiled at her and walked arm in arm with her toward the entrance of the church.

* * *

 _Two years later._

* * *

"I think leaving my hair down like this is fine, Mako-chan," Kurusugawa Himeko, brimming with joy in her wedding gown, told an overly excited Oogami Makoto, who was sitting on a couch to make it easier for her and the twenty-four-week-old spark of life residing in her belly. Her doctor had informed her and a mad-with-joy Souma a while back that it was a healthy boy. Although the young master of the Oogami Shrine swore up and down to his wife that he would love his first kid regardless of the gender, it was clear to Himeko that her childhood friend, like Himemiya Aoki himself, wished for a male child much more than he did a female one. Sometimes she caught herself wondered why they did. The answer still eluded her, though.

"No, it's not," Kouzuki Takako decided while pacing the waiting room in the same church in which the former track-and-field athlete had recited her marriage vows. The flame-haired Maid of Honor – Himeko originally wanted Mako-chan to assume the role, but her pregnancy made the task impossible – and her fellow members in the Fanatic Trio, also Himeko's bridesmaids, had been examine her hair even from the previous night and pondering as to what hairstyle might make her look best despite her insistence on just letting her waist-length hair down like usual. "Say, Miho," Takako turned to Nakashima Miho, who was sitting next to Mako-chan on the couch and tapping her lips in a very thoughtful fashion, "what do you think about a braid?"

"Nah," rejected Igarashi Aiko. The pretty woman with the nerdy glasses – she refused to wear contacts for reasons Himeko couldn't comprehend – was lounging comfortably atop the armrest of the same couch the auburn-haired and the green-haired woman, who was still her roommate in graduate school, sat. "I say we make it into a hair tower on her hair. It's rare! It's refreshing!" Mako-chan and Miho giggled aloud.

"Why are you guys doing this?" Himeko asked wonderingly, slightly amused and irritated by her friends' relentlessness. Her hands were folded atop her abdomen, her amethyst eyes gazing forward at the mirror atop the makeup table and carefully making sure that there was nothing wrong with her appearance. Today... was going to be the happiest day of her life. She, like any woman about to be wedded to the person she loved most, wanted it to be perfect. "You know I don't want to change my hairstyle. Why bother?"

"Because we know your _precious_ Chikane-chan likes your hair this way. That's why you grew it back to how it used to be during high school, no?" The owner of the bridal shop cackled. "How can we _not_ take advantage of this occasion to make her life harder?" Miho and Aiko flipped their thumbs up, signaling their approval. The auburn-haired woman confined herself to a smile behind a raised hand.

Himeko blushed slightly at Takako's bluntness.

"May I remind you that the three of you already made her life hard enough?" she pointed out. "You didn't even let me call her cell phone." The day prior to the wedding, the Trio had _"kidnapped"_ her to Takako's apartment and kept her there in _"house arrest."_ With the excuse that they needed to throw her a bachelorette's party, which entailed nothing more than a pillow fight between the mildly intoxicated Trio members, they managed to separate her from the woman she loved. She knew they were only trying to have their usual dose of fun, but it was true that they had made her miserable the whole day, during which she couldn't see or even listen to the voice of her beautiful pianist. She barely slept a wink last night for the same reason. She... was slightly mad at them for that.

"Oh come on." Takako gave a dismissive wave of her hand. "You were with her twenty-four seven for the last two years. A day of separation ain't going to kill her."

"So you said, Takako-chan, but how would you feel if we didn't allow you to see Akemi-chan for one whole day?" she countered. Miho and Aiko put on interested looks.

"I didn't see her yesterday," the pretty woman in the red velvet dress said defensively. "Nor have I seen her today. I'm still fine, aren't I?"

"Lying is bad, Takako-chan." Himeko giggled. "She came to your apartment last night."

"How did you know?" Takako gasped and shut up once she realized what she just blurted out.

"Akemi did come over?" Aiko said dubiously. "I never knew."

"Because you and Aiko-chan were snoring in the guestroom, Miho-chan," Himeko explained. "I couldn't sleep, so I decided to go to the living room and watched some TV." Takako began to shake her head hurriedly and signaled for Himeko to stop talking, but she ignored her. She had spent her life making fun of others. It was time she had a taste of her own medicine, of course. "I just left the room when I saw Takako-chan standing at the door with Akemi-chan. They were making out so intensely they didn't notice me at all." She stuck her tongue out at the owner of the bridal shop.

"Hi... Himeko..." the flame-haired woman begged. Sweat was beading on her forehead.

"Don't mind her, Hime-chi," Miho commanded. "Now, how long did she stay?"

"Exactly?" Himeko grinned wickedly, adding much more color to Takako's cheeks. "Three hours and fifty-three minutes." The Maid of Honor swallowed audibly and slapped her forehead.

"Were you _peeking?"_ Mako-chan asked, scandalized.

"Of course not!" she denied hastily. "I slipped back into the guestroom as soon as Takako-chan carried Akemi-chan inside." Another grin. More sweat. "But what else could I do in the room except looking at the clock and wondering when the noises echoing out from the other bedroom were going to stop?"

Nakashima Miho and Igarashi Aiko hooted in laughter. Even the former track-and-field athlete laughed aloud.

"Now what did you have to do that for?" the flame-haired woman muttered indignantly.

"Payback, Takako-chan," Himeko answered sweetly and smiled at her friend. "Payback." An idea popped up in her head. "And by the way, unless you'd let me see Chikane-chan _immediately,_ I'm going to blurt out, intentionally of course, what you and Akemi-chan were talking about last night."

 _"Ooh!"_ exclaimed two of the three bridesmaids. Mako-chan herself blushed hotly and kept her mouth shut. _"Do tell! Do tell!"_

"You wouldn't have the nerve," her Maid of Honor challenged.

"You shouldn't be too sure." Himeko laughed softly. "I miss Chikane-chan so much there's nothing I wouldn't do to be able to see her right now."

"Don't agree, Taka-chi!" commanded the green-haired bridesmaid. Takako turned and flashed her a silencing look. It was met with absolute hilarity.

 _"Bite harder, Akemi,"_ Himeko taunted, unable to keep a straight face.

The flame-haired woman panicked. "Okay! Okay!" she shrieked, face as red as her dress. "The rest of you, follow me!" Not waiting for an answer from the other bridesmaid, she marched to the couch and grabbed Miho and Aiko by their ears. Ignoring their cries of anguish, she dragged them out of the room. Before she vanished, though, she shot Mako-chan and Himeko a scathing look each for emphasis.

"I see Chikane has rubbed off on you somewhat, roommie," commented the former track-and-field athlete as she rose from the couch, her hands offering her belly support. "You handled Takako well."

"Thanks." Himeko grinned at her best friend. "I'll see you out, Mako-chan."

"No need." The auburn-haired woman waved off her offer. I'll call Souma right away. You stay here and wait for your beloved." She gave a sudden laugh. "Just don't jump her when she comes in like Takako did Akemi last night, okay? You'll have plenty of time for that later."

 _"Mako-chan!"_

Still laughing, her former roommate left the room and closed the door behind her. A couple of minutes later, it swung open again and admitted a sight that melted her heart. Standing at the entrance to the waiting room was the moonlight of her world, her slender body now graced with a bridal gown the elegant silhouette of which was fashioned after the mermaid style. Crafted in satin, blessed with a distinct sheen and smoothness, the gown fitted nicely to her sweetheart's hourglass figure all the way to the knees, and then flared outwardly at her feet like the tail of a real mermaid. Its hemline was floor-length, forming a bridal train that would trail stylishly after her with every step she took. Strapless and shoulderless, the dress had a neckline in the shape of a heart, which embraced the curve of her full bosom, and was heavily laced from the top to the dropped waistline with elegant patterns of vines and leaves.

Himeko's heart nearly burst in pride and joy at her first love. _"Photogenic"_ barely scratched the surface of the sublime beauty currently radiating from the pianist. _"Picturesque"_ would spend an eternity chasing after her but never caught up. _"Breathtaking"_ would be shamed to death. Even though, Himeko was wearing the same gown, she couldn't really compete with the Himemiya princess in terms of beauty and elegance. She doubted _anyone_ could.

"How did you manage that, my little angel?" the genius musician murmured in amusement as she closed the door and glided toward where Himeko sat. The air around her seemed to glimmer, the seashell pendant on her chest gathering the light spilling down from the ceiling of the waiting room.

"Sincerity accompanied by a well-intentioned threat works wonders, Chikane-chan," she answered and smiled up at the other half of her existence. "I didn't want to do it, but they insisted on not letting me see you..."

"I am glad you did." Her beautiful bride fell onto her knees in front of her and took Himeko's hands into both of hers. "I missed you so." She kissed each knuckle lovingly, then gently laid a side of her face atop Himeko's thighs.

"So did I," she whispered back, hand brushing her bride's glorious azure tresses.

"Have you been feeling well since yesterday?" The blue-haired girl rubbed her face softly against her lap. "No morning sickness, I hope?" Her voice, like always, was frighteningly gentle and saturated with love.

"Little Shizuka has been behaving, Chikane-kaa-san," Himeko whispered to the other mother of her unborn child, her vacant hand very still on her stomach, hoping she could feel her baby stir. "She didn't mess me up at all. I think she's going to be a very sweet and kind girl when she grows up."

Everything still seemed like a dream to her, and sometimes she couldn't believe that she had been pregnant for three months with the child of the woman she loved. The special treatment she received at the Himemiya's R&D Division had turned out to be nothing less than miraculous, and the doctors had assured her that everything was going extremely well with her pregnancy. Of course, they had seemed skeptical at how she and her companion assumed that the spark of life inside her womb was going to develop into a girl, but at least they didn't say anything.

There had been nights Himeko stayed awake in bed, crying her eyes out in ever cresting joy while her sweetheart held her tightly and soothed her by slow, loving strokes on her back and gentle kisses all over her tear-soaked face.

"She'll be just like you, then, Himeko-kaa-san," her stunning bride told her. She blushed. "And I just spoke to Father and Mother earlier. I think they already scheduled a long vacation that would start as soon as you delivered our child." The musician chuckled. "They said they were going to stay home for maybe a year or two and help us take care of Shizuka." Her chuckle grew into melodious laughter. "Kyou-Oji-sama is going to have a lot of trouble managing the business of his corporation for sure."

"How kind of them," Himeko remarked, still a little disappointed that she never felt her unborn daughter stir. Although she knew it was still too early for that – her belly had not even grown in size – she had hoped... "Did Mom and Dad say anything else?"

"Well, we were having a little chat," answered her first love, "when Father suddenly wanted to make a wager with me. He said you were going to give birth to a boy."

"He's going to lose for sure." She giggled.

"I know." The other mother of her child joined her mirth.

"But you know, Chikane-chan," she tapped her lips ponderously, "sometimes I couldn't help but wonder about a few things. You know, like how I managed to know your eating habits without you telling me." She cupped her sweetheart's face with both hands and gently lifted it up for a brief kiss. "Or how I fell so madly in love with you the first time I saw you."

"I wish I could answer you, my little angel," said the pianist.

"You do not have to wish, Priestesses of the Godless Month," a powerful female voice, familiar yet alien at the same time, resounded from overhead, making them jump. "It is time you get back your memories."

A torrential current of fire and lightning rushed across her mind as soon as the last word was uttered, and she started to scream. The world roared in her ears, her blood boiled in her veins, and a storm of images exploded in her vision.

When her head finally stopped hurting from the grippingly powerful visions and her tears had stopped flowing altogether, she found herself on her knees and gazing at the moonlight of her world, seeing her in a completely different light. Her first love was no longer wearing the stunning wedding gown. Gracing her curvaceous upper body now was a snowy kimono shirt called chihaya with the borders of its long, wide sleeves lined with indigo velvet. Hugging her lower frame was a hibakama skirt of the same shade. Her hair remained in a tidy tail bound by a snowy ribbon, the composure usually cloaking her gorgeous face no longer there. Her eyes were shining with moisture and widened by surprise, her lips a perfect O that mirrored the emotions in those sapphire pupils.

Kurusugawa Himeko, in the exact same outfit except for the red velvet lining her sleeves and her red hibakama, knew exactly what her faithful companion was feeling in her heart. _Gods of Heaven above... I remember!_ An emotional epiphany seized her, squeezed her heart, and summoned yet another deluge of moisture in her amethyst eyes.

"Chikane-chan..." She threw her arms around the Priestess of the Moon and wept openly on her shoulder while years of pent up memories and suppressed emotions continued to roar and rage from the darkest depths of her mind. "I... I remember you now, Chikane-chan..." Calling the name of her precious moonlight over and over again, she tightened her arms around her body and tried to absorb more of her warmth and softness. "I'm not letting go of you ever again, Chikane-chan..." She shed her tears harder than ever.

"It has been lonely..." whispered her first love in a broken voice as she slipped her gentle arms around Himeko's waist and held her tight. "It has been so lonely in the Moon Shrine all these years without being able to see you, Himeko..." A painful sob escaped her mouth. "But finally... finally..." Another sob. "I am back, my little angel. I am back..."

Unable to utter a word in this heart-rending moment, in which she was _truly_ reunited with her love, Kurusugawa Himeko continued to cry while her memories, now free of the vicious bindings that kept them sealed, surged in her mind like the waves of a stormy sea. Everything had come back to her, including the recollection of how they first met in the Garden of the Roses in what now seemed a different reality, how she became friends with the princess of the Himemiya, and how she fell helplessly in love with her but didn't realize it until it was too late. She now remembered the pain she had inflicted upon her most important person due to her mistaking her physical attraction toward Oogami Souma for love. She could even recall the tragic event taken place in that dark night in the Himemiya Mansion, where the other Priestess severed her link with humanity and physically violated Himeko in the hope that the inexorable gears of destiny could be halted.

Chikane-chan had succeeded in the end, where she traded her life for Himeko's and became the ultimate sacrifice to the Gods. In the aftermath of the holy war, the princess was yanked mercilessly from her moments after they confessed their true feelings and for the first time in their young life, experienced the joy of being loved. The separation caused by divine will had been devastating. Himeko was forced to watch in tears as the girl she loved was hurled into the sky in a flurry of flower petals and the merciless howling winds. Even though the experience hadn't last more than a few seconds, although a powerful spell immediately kicked in afterwards and wiped her mind blank, she could still remember how close her heart had come to stopping because of the unbearable anguish.

But it didn't matter anymore. The Priestess of the Moon had come back to her side, her memories and feelings intact. The _"how"_ and the _"why"_ weren't important. All she cared about was the fact that she had fulfilled the promise she made to the moonlight of her world instants before the latter was taken away from her. _"Looks and memories don't matter!"_ she had shouted tearfully while desperately trying to hold on to the Moon Priestess's hand. _"I'll definitely find you! Definitely!"_ Her words were honored three years ago at that crowded junction, where the two halves of the same existence were brought together and the flame of their love kindled anew.

Tremblingly, Kurusugawa Himeko laid her hands on either side of her eternal companion's gorgeous face and gently caressed it with the tips of her fingers. Her eternal lover allowed her to do as she wished, gazing intently at her all the while with sapphire eyes stained with moisture.

"So they trapped you in the Moon Shrine for all these years?" she asked quietly, her sentence cut into pieces by her sobs. "Did you escape from it, Chikane-chan?"

"I do not know." The beautiful blue-haired princess laid her forehead against that of Himeko and placed her hands upon the backs of Himeko's own. "Day by day I sat in that dark chamber, always thinking of you and fearing that they would erase you from my mind." She shivered. Himeko's heart throbbed. "One day, the gates were suddenly opened. Next I knew... I was already reborn into the world."

"And I am sorry I could not release you sooner, Priestess of the Moon," a familiar female voice said from every direction at once. "Forgive me."

It was only then did Himeko realize she was no longer inside the church where they were about to be wed. She and the mother of her child were actually kneeling on the wooden floor of a place her past-life memories identified as the inner sanctum of the Moon Shrine. The only thing that differed from her recollection, however, was the fact that its walls and ceilings were translucent at the moment, allowing her to see beyond them... and find the colossal figure of a humanoid machine. Its body seemed to be made from pure gold, its back decorated by a ring of ice and fire. Her breath caught. _Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi!_ It was nothing other than the physical manifestation of the Immortal who was summoned to defeat the eight-headed Serpent God.

Fear clutched her heart and fastened around it. _Does she want to take Chikane-chan from me again?_ Frightened by the possibility, she held on to her fated lover more tightly than ever, determined to protect the light of her world from divine grasp. "No!" she heard the Moon Priestess whisper in panic.

"Calm down, children of the Moon Shrine," said Ame no Murakumo's powerful voice. "I am not here to separate you." In a flash of light, the divine titan vanished and reappeared inside the Shrine in a completely different form. The deity looked like a mortal now with her pretty face and platinum hair cascading all the way down to the wooden floor. She was wearing a hagoromo that sparkled like pure gold without any source of illumination. A fully sheathed katana hung at her waist. Although a woman, often thought otherwise by her worshippers, her presence was no less imposing than that of any male deity Himeko had a chance to encounter in her past life.

"You aren't?" She heaved a sigh of relief.

"I would not have the heart to do such a thing." The Goddess of the Sword smiled tenderly at her. "Besides, I spent years trying to get the Ruler of Heaven to free her. Why would I reverse my efforts?"

"You did?" Chikane-chan whispered wonderingly. "Was that why... I was reborn?"

"Yes," confirmed Ame no Murakumo. "I managed to free you, but it took a great deal of time and energy." She sighed. "Izanagi no Mikoto was furious that you abandoned your foreordained duties, so he was dead set on imprisoning you in this very Shrine forever." She made some disgusted sounds in her throat. "Luckily, there were Immortals in his Court who were moved by the love you two shared. Together, we devoted quite as few years trying to persuade the Ruler of Heaven to have mercy on you."

"And you finally moved him?" Himeko asked, amazed.

"Of course not!" the Goddess scoffed. "That creep does not listen to reasons."

"Then how?" She blinked, thinking to herself that it was rather disturbing to hear the Lord of Heaven being talked down in such a way. Her lover clearly agreed, for she gave Himeko a rueful look and slightly shook her magnificent head.

"We struck his weak point," announced the deity, "which happened to be his competitiveness. We challenged the creep's personal belief that love could last forever. We told him if he wanted to make a wager with us. Should we lose, we will never pester him again. Should we win, he would promise that he would release the Moon Priestess from her prison."

"What were you betting on?" the genius musician inquired curiously.

"The fact that even after he had erased your memories, your love never died." Ame no Murakumo smiled. "He agreed to temporarily let you leave the Shrine and staged a _"chanced"_ encounter between the two of you in Downtown Mahoroba. The wager was meant to settle the moment the two of you met. Should _either_ of you fail to recognize one another, the Moon Priestess would immediately be taken back inside the Shrine."

Warmth flooded Himeko's chest as she turned to her first love and saw in those beautiful sapphire gems an emotion mirroring that which was currently energizing her heart. Love. It was as though she had fallen in love with her all over again.

"It was as we expected," continued the Sword Goddess, "you did not disappoint us. Thanks to you, Izanagi conceded his defeat and agreed to the terms we had put forth beforehand."

"But you said he released me three years ago..." Chikane-chan hesitated. "What about the nineteen years worth of memories I accumulated prior to our meeting? Are they... fabricated?"

"No." The woman in the golden hagoromo waved her hand dismissively. "As soon as the outcome of the bet had been settled, we immediately turned back the flow of time and had you reincarnated into the Himemiya family. Then we slowly guided the course of your life toward the meeting at Downtown Mahoroba. Did not take much work, by the way."

"I am eternally in your debt, hallowed one." The blue-haired princess gently eased herself out of Himeko's embrace and bowed down so low toward the Goddess that her forehead touched the floor. Her voice was racked with gratitude. Knowing that she owed the reunion with the love of her life to Ame no Murakumo, Himeko herself followed suit.

"No need to thank me," murmured the Goddess as she lifted a hand. A gentle gust of wind helped Himeko and her beloved fiancée to their feet. "We were simply doing what is right. Besides, your love moved every single one of us. You deserved this, children of the Moon Shrine." A satisfied smile graced the deity's lips. "And yes, children, I came down to the Mortal World today firstly because I had already gotten permission from the creep to give your memories back. And secondly, I want to give you a wedding gift."

"None is necessary, hallowed one," the other mother of Himeko's child said hastily. "Your presence already honored us more than we could ever hope." She nodded in a fervent agreement.

"But I insist."

Ame no Murakumo held up a finger the tip of which immediately became aglow with a brilliant golden aura. The light then pulsed like a heart as it condensed into a small sphere before it left her fingertip and shot straight toward Himeko. She never had a chance to react before the golden sphere dissolved into a bright flash at the contact it made with her belly. Warmth seeped into her, slowly migrated across her existence, and finally vanished.

"It is a little spell, Priestesses," explained the Goddess of the Sword. "It will stay within you throughout your pregnancy and ensure that nothing happens to the precious spark of life that you carry in your womb. Your daughter," she winked at Himeko and her first love, "will be delivered safely into this world. This I assure you."

Himeko was at a loss for word.

"I... I do not know what to say, my Lady," her princess stammered.

"Then do not bother." The Immortal laughed. "For now, just relax and enjoy the most joyous day of your life. Please forgive me that I cannot attend your wedding." The divine one smiled ruefully. "Izanagi would give me an earful if I linger a second longer than I must in this..." she gave her head a light shake, "establishment. Farewell, children of the Moon Shrine."

She swung her right sleeve and summoned a blinding flare of golden aura. When it faded away, Himeko and her bride was back in the waiting room of the church and the Goddess nowhere in sight. Her face was dry, as was her sweetheart's, and without a trace of the tears they had shed.

Overwhelmed with emotions, she pulled Shizuka's other mother into a tight embrace and tried her best not to cry. Chikane-chan tremblingly hugged her back.

Someone pounded on the door. "Hey, it's time!" It was Takako's voice.

"Get back to the altar, Chikane-chan," Himeko whispered. "I'll be there soon."

"Do not take too long, Himeko-kaa-san." The blue-haired woman gave her a quick kiss on the lips before she opened the door and hurried away.

"Are you ready, Himeko?" said the owner of the bridal shop as she stepped inside, her hands holding a bouquet. On her heels was the High Priest of the Oogami Shine, a perpetual smile decorating his lips and brightened his fatherly face.

"I am," she confirmed, feeling a surge of excitement at what was going to pass.

"Then let us go, Kurusugawa-san," proposed the leader of the Oogami. He offered her his left arm. "I am honored to be in your late father's place on this glorious morning," he intimated.

"The honor is mine, sensei." She smiled up at the middle-aged man who had sheltered her to the day her first love came back into her life and once again stole her heart.

"The time has come, my child," he said. "Your bride awaits."

Gently, he led her out of the room. Moisture continuously stung in her eyes as she relished every step she took beneath the hallowed hallway of the church and upon the path that would lead her to the sacred altar, where one of her life's dreams was going to come true. Thinking to herself that her unborn daughter was going to be one of the witnesses for the wedding, she felt the anguish she had to suffer in her past life and the pain of separation that nearly destroyed her before reality was rewoven and history remade begin to fade into nothingness. They mattered no more now, when Himeko and the moonlight of her world were already beyond the grasp of tragedy, when the cogs of Fate no longer encompassed the course of their life. The chains had been broken, and they had obtained their freedom... for time without end.


End file.
